Iran-linked hackers claim to expose alleged Israeli drone engineers, offer $30,000 bounties
Cyber group Handala claimed to have acquired the names of engineers involved in Israel’s drone programs, a day after threatening Israeli politicians.
The Iranian-linked Handala hacking group issued a new threat on Saturday, claiming it had uncovered the identities of Israeli engineers allegedly involved in the development of drone programs, according to posts published on social media.
Handala’s statement came a day after threatening to carry out cyberattacks against senior Israeli politicians. Israeli officials have not issued an official response, and security sources stressed that the claims have not been verified.
The group said it had published personal and professional details of individuals it described as key figures in Israel’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development efforts within the IDF and defense industries.
The group then placed a bounty of $30,000 on each of the named individuals.
An Iranian flag is seen on a computer’s CPU (illustrative) (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)
Handala publishes names of 14 alleged drone engineers
In its statement, Handala claimed it had released the names and detailed profiles of 14 people whom it described as “the minds behind Israel’s drone and UAV programs.” The group alleged that these systems play a central role in Israel’s military operations.
The hackers further claimed that Israel’s use of UAV systems has caused harm to civilians and constitutes violations of international law. As part of the move, the group said it had placed a bounty of $30,000 on each of the individuals named.
No documents or independently verifiable evidence have been published to support the claims, and the source of the information remains unclear. Israeli authorities have not issued an official response.
Handala’s expanded cyber campaign against Israeli ticker
The threat follows repeated attacks on Israeli politicians and the defense echelon.
Handala put a bounty for information on over a dozen Israelis, who it claimed are developers of Patriot, Arrow, and David’s Sling air defense systems.
Similar to the attacks on drone engineers, the group offered a $30,000 bounty on information on Israeli engineers and technicians, listing their photos, names, credentials, email addresses, locations, and phone numbers.
The attacks still have not been verified by security sources.
A day earlier, Handala warned of hacking attempts against senior Israeli political figures, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz, Likud MK Tally Gotliv, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The group also ran an online poll asking followers to vote on the next target.
Earlier in the week, former prime minister Naftali Bennett confirmed that his Telegram account was hacked after Handala claimed to have accessed Bennett’s phone on Wednesday.
