Amidst an unexpected offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas against Israel, involving paragliders for infiltration, a concurrent cyber conflict unfolded, amplifying the complexity of the ongoing situation. Hacking groups commenced targeting Israeli websites during the turmoil, and amidst this digital battlefield, a pro-India group joined the fray, further heightening the intensity of the cyber clashes.
Israel found itself unexpectedly besieged by Hamas terrorists who initiated a ground assault simultaneously with an intensive missile attack on Saturday. This brutal onslaught resulted in casualties and the abduction of approximately 900 individuals, including 73 Israeli soldiers, with reports of several individuals being taken hostage.
On October 8, the Israel-based media outlet Jerusalem Post reported that it had fallen prey to multiple cyberattacks, resulting in a site crash that rendered it inaccessible from various locations. The orchestrator of this attack was the hacking group known as Anonymous Sudan.
In another alarming incident, the Red Alert phone app system in Israel, a critical platform for delivering real-time alerts during rocket and missile attacks, reported being targeted by a hacktivist group self-identifying as Anon Ghost.
Meanwhile, the digital landscape witnessed a surge in activity, with coordinated operations on the rise. "Ghost of Palestine," an online pro-Palestine group, launched a major cyber campaign, rallying hackers worldwide under the banner of #OpIsrael. Their primary objective is to target Israel's cyber infrastructure, bolstering the digital resistance against Israel.
Notably, another pro-Palestine hacking coalition, comprising "Ghost Clan" and "Black Shield Crew MY," issued a warning, signaling an impending cyber offensive against Israel under the banner of "OpsRise." These developments underscore the escalating digital confrontations within the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict as various hacker groups engage in cyber warfare.
According to information shared by the Twitter handle @Cyberknow20, a substantial alliance of 35 Pro-Palestine hacker groups has consistently focused their efforts on Israel. Of particular concern is a recent announcement revealing collaboration between two pro-Russian hacking entities, Anonymous Sudan and Killnet, as they jointly set their sights on Israel's cyber infrastructure.
This series of cyberattacks has seen various pro-Palestine hacker groups systematically targeting multiple Israeli government and other websites. Among the noteworthy incidents, the Garnesia Team claimed responsibility for attacks on government sites, including the Municipality of Jerusalem and the National Insurance Institute. The ACEH Hackers Group also left its mark by targeting various Israeli websites, including Cello, USHOPS, and CASTRO.
Team Herox Hackers Group directed their efforts toward the "The Occupation Magazine" website, while Ganosec Team executed a successful attack that temporarily disrupted the website of the Israeli Security Agency.
In a separate incident, the KEP Team claimed responsibility for targeting the website of the Otzma Yehudit Political party in Israel, as reported by the cybersecurity researcher @FalconFeedsio.
Furthermore, the pro-India hacking group, “Indian Cyber Force,” has emerged as a prominent actor in the pro-Israel hacktivist arena. They have effectively launched cyberattacks on Palestinian websites, affecting several targets, including the Hamas official website, the Palestine National Bank website, and more.
In retaliation, Pro-Palestine hacker groups have responded with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on Delhi government websites, reflecting the escalating cyber conflicts associated with the Israel-Palestine issue. Nevertheless, as of Monday, the Delhi government website appeared to be functional.
These incidents collectively underscore the dynamic and evolving nature of conflicts within the digital domain, emphasizing the critical importance of cybersecurity in contemporary geopolitical struggles.
