Iranian hacking group claims it breached ex-Israeli army chief’s phone

An Iranian hacking group claimed Thursday it breached the phone of former Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi and obtained thousands of sensitive images and videos from within Israel's top command structure.

In a statement published on its website, the group known as Handala said that it had maintained covert access to Halevi's device for years.

"During all this time, more than 19,000 confidential images and videos from the most secret meetings of Halevi have been extracted and archived."

The group claimed that the material includes images of senior commanders, operational facilities, maps, and internal discussions, asserting that the data would be released gradually.

"Every face, every commander, and every criminal pilot, clear and unblurred, are in our hands and will be revealed one by one when the time is right," it said.

The group also claimed that it has access to senior Israeli commanders.

"Every moment, every decision, every conversation is being watched; only the time to expose them has not yet arrived," it said.

Handala added that one video shows Halevi "caught hiding under a table, trying to scare his wife -- and failed even at that."

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the report.