Israel’s Jerusalem Post newspaper says its website has been hacked, in what it described as a “direct threat” to the country.
Key points:
- The breach comes on the second anniversary of the US assassination of Iran general Qassem Soleimani
- The newspaper’s home page showed a bullet-shaped object shooting out of a red ring once worn by Mr Soleimani
- Iran has not claimed responsibility but has stepped up commemorations for the slain general
Instead of displaying its main news page, the website showed an illustration that appeared to recall top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US drone strike in Iraq exactly two years ago.
The illustration showed a bullet-shaped object shooting out of a red ring worn on a finger, an apparent reference to a distinctive ring General Soleimani used to wear.
It read, in stilted English, “We are close to you where you do not think about it.”
The Jerusalem Post, an English-language daily, tweeted that it was working to resolve the issue.
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Its mobile app did not appear to be affected and other major Israeli news websites were working normally.
The illustration used an exploding target from a recent Iranian military drill that looked like the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre, near the Negev desert city of Dimona.
The breach comes after Israel’s former military intelligence chief publicly acknowledged last month that his country was involved in General Soleimani’s 2020 killing.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli government about the cyber attack.
(AP: Khalid Mohammed)
While Iran has not claimed the responsibility, it has stepped up its commemorations of the slain Revolutionary Guard general.
Memorial services were scheduled to be held late on Monday to mark his death.
Reuters/ABC
