- Hackers have published screenshots of messages sent to Israel Katz via WhatsApp that appear to contain insults and threats, including “We will kill you.”
- The incident took place on Thursday evening, and on Friday other Knesset members were reportedly attacked.
LONDON: A group of Turkish hackers have reportedly managed to make a video call to Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and then leak his phone number online.
According to local media reports, Katz received a video call from one of the hackers on Thursday evening, who then took a screenshot and posted it online.
The hackers also published screenshots of several messages sent to Katz via WhatsApp that appeared to contain insults and threats, including “We will kill you.”
“Hey Katz, never forget this, your death is near, we are the defenders of Qassam, we will bury you and your country in history,” said one message, apparently referring to Hamas’ armed wing.
Israeli media reported that Katz had been using the same phone number for several years and that it had previously been circulated in various groups. The number has since been blocked.
In a post on his X account, Katz said the hackers belonged to “organized Islamist-jihadist gangs from around the world.”
He wrote: “Let them continue to call and threaten, and I will continue to give orders to eliminate their fellow terrorist leaders.”
A Turkish hacker was able to call Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz via WhatsApp. Katz then blocked him. pic.twitter.com/LnsaaaLuax
– Ibrahim Karatas (@ibratas1) September 11, 2025
Israeli media reported on Friday that other members of the ruling Likud party, including Ofir Katz, David Bitan and Moshe Saada, were also targeted by hackers.
After receiving hundreds of WhatsApp video calls from unknown numbers that they did not answer, the politicians also reportedly began receiving text messages containing images of Palestinian flags.
It remains unclear whether the hackers accessed any sensitive information or whether the breach represents a broader security vulnerability.
In August 2024, as Foreign Minister, Katz provoked controversy by attacking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the X program, accusing him of turning Turkey into a dictatorship because of his “support for Hamas murderers and rapists.”
The post featured an AI-generated image of Erdogan in front of Istanbul with a burning Turkish flag, sparking outrage in Turkey.
Since taking over as defense minister in November, Katz has sparked fresh controversy by allegedly spearheading plans to detain Palestinians in what critics have called a “concentration camp” built on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza.