Ex-prime minister Naftali Bennett admitted that his Telegram account was breached on Wednesday night after initially denying claims earlier on Wednesday by an Iranian hacker group that it had hacked his phone.

The claims were made by the “Handala” group—known for its cyberattacks on Israeli targets.

The hackers published what they said was his contact list, including numbers of senior officials and security figures. Bennett’s office initially responded that the device in question was no longer in use, later adding that “after checks were conducted, it appears his phone was not hacked.”

Following the denials, personal chats from Bennett’s Telegram account were circulated online. Kan News reported that one leaked conversation involved Bennett’s spokesman Matan Sidi and a contact nicknamed “Sandak”—identified as Bennett’s personal adviser Shlomit Meir—discussing pressure on then‑Mossad chief Dedi Barnea.

Bennett later responded to the reports, saying, “It appears that my phone itself was not breached, but access was gained to my Telegram account through various means.”

Other leaked messages allegedly reveal Bennett making disparaging remarks about other politicians, including Avigdor Lieberman and Ayelet Shaked.

The hackers also released photos of Bennett. They dubbed the breach “Operation Octopus,” a reference to Bennett’s repeated calls over the years to strike the Iranian “octopus.”

“You often spoke about the ‘octopus,’ portrayed it as your enemy, and thought you could cut off its arms and remain safe,” the group wrote in a message addressed to the former prime minister. “But today, on Handala’s birthday, know this: the octopus is not only watching—you are already caught in its grip.”

According to reports, the hackers’ claims are being examined by the Shin Bet. The possibility is being investigated that another device belonging to one of Bennett’s aides may have been compromised and used to access his information.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)