Did Israel infiltrate Lebanese telecoms networks?

Israel has been sending text messages, recordings, and hacking radio networks to warn Lebanese citizens to evacuate certain areas.

Israel has been sending text messages, recordings, and hacking radio networks to warn Lebanese citizens to evacuate certain areas in the country, likely due to an imminent full-scale strike. Following these warnings, massive bombings in southern and eastern Lebanon killed over 270 people.

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli intelligence has been gathering data on Lebanon’s citizens for years.

Experts also speculate that the Israeli cyber army might have gained access to the private communication details of people across Lebanon.

Israel is believed to have infiltrated Lebanese telecom networks, allowing it to send targeted warnings to specific individuals. Experts believe that Israel has real-time access to data on Lebanese civilians, not just Hezbollah members, enhancing its intelligence capabilities in the region.

Residents in southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut received messages and phone calls early Monday, warning them to evacuate areas that are hosting Hezbollah. The warnings were sent from Lebanese numbers.

“If you are in a building with Hezbollah weapons, stay away from the village until further notice.” reads the message sent to Lebanese citizens.

One message seen by Al Jazeera urged people to stay away from villages with Hezbollah weapons. These coordinated warnings sparked concerns about escalating conflict in the region.

“In Beirut, Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary was among those who received a recorded phone call, according to the state-run National News Agency.” reported Al Jazeera.

“What we don’t know is how Israel got these details of people — cellphone numbers, locations. … Is it because of data leaks or because Israel has hacked into Lebanon’s telecoms infrastructure?” Ibrahim said.

However, media reported that Israeli forces bombed buildings whose residents received no warnings.

The messages are also part of the PSYOPS campaigns conducted by the IDF to destabilize local communities and isolate members of Hezbollah.

According to intelligence analysts, Israel had hacked Lebanese networks well before October 8, gaining access to almost any technology used in the country, including landlines, systems managing car plate numbers, and mobile phones.

Israeli cyber units have developed sophisticated spyware and hacking tools that allow their intelligence to track both Lebanese citizens and visitors.

In 2018, Lebanon’s UN representative Amal Mudallali accused Israel of hacking Lebanese telecom networks, sending recorded messages to civilians in Kafr Kila warning of imminent explosions during tensions with Hezbollah.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, warfare)