ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A group of Turkish hackers on Thursday leaked the phone numbers of multiple high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, availing of the information to video-call and mock Defense Minister Israel Katz.

According to Israeli state media, the cyberattack struck a broad range of political leaders, including Ministers Yariv Levin, Eli Cohen, Dudi Amsalem, Yoav Kish, Miri Regev, Miki Zohar, Avi Dichter, and Nir Barkat, along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Defense Minister Israel Katz bore the brunt of the breach of privacy, with the Turkish hackers managing to reach him directly on his private phone, hurling insults and capturing a compromising screenshot after the minister accidentally activated the video function in a clumsy attempt to hang up. The security chief then reportedly threatened to kill the hackers before blocking the number.

After the call, the hackers moved to WhatsApp, firing off threats in Hebrew: "Never forget this—your death is near. We are the defenders of Qassam, and we will bury you and your country in history." When Katz blocked them, they switched to Turkish, jeering at him with messages like: "What’s wrong?" and "Did you block me, dog?"

The group then posted the screenshots online, together with sensitive information about Israeli weapons sites and contact details for multiple senior officials. According to i24, the hackers also circulated a phone number allegedly tied to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though they noted it may no longer be current.

The fallout was immediate. The 69-year-old minister found himself inundated with thousands of hostile messages ranging from crude insults to explicit death threats, such as “We are going to kill you,” many apparently generated by automated accounts, i24 reported.

Katz addressed the cyberattack on X, writing: "Organized Islamist-jihadist gangs from various countries are calling my unclassified civilian phone with insults and threats. Let them keep calling and threatening—I will continue to order the elimination of their terrorist leaders."

Israeli security officials have acknowledged a drastic escalation in attempted cyberattacks following Israel's large-scale attack on Iran in June, i24 reported, caveating that "no attempts have been successful and no information has been leaked."

Despite such assurances, the incident provoked a firestorm of blowback on Israeli social media, with many users questioning the adherence to security protocol of Katz in responding to the call and more pertinently the leaking of ministers' private contact details.

Israel Katz was appointed as defense minister in November 2024, taking over from Yoav Gallant—who, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over crimes against humanity purportedly committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Katz has faced extensive international criticism for his perceived radical positions regarding Palestinians and inflammatory public comments. His remarks about biblical plagues in Yemen, referencing "the death of firstborns," framed as a response to the Houthis’ support for Palestine, have drawn sharp condemnation.

He is also under pressure for the disputed plan to seal off over 600,000 displaced Palestinians in Rafah and push Gaza’s population into exile.