Report Says Iranian Hacker Group Leader Killed in Israeli Strike

An Iran-linked Telegram account claimed that Yahya Hosseini Panjaki, identified as the commander of the Iranian hacker group Handala, was killed by Israel. The post, which has since been deleted, suggested he died in a targeted Israeli strike during Operation "Roar of the Lion."

The report comes after the Israeli military said in early March that it had killed Sid Yahya Hamidi, the Iranian deputy intelligence minister for Israel affairs, in the opening attack on February 28 that hit several senior Iranian intelligence figures. Media outlets including Iran International and The Times of Israel said Hamidi was Panjaki’s name, and that he had been killed in that strike.

The new claim came from a regime-affiliated page that published a fresh photo of him and said he had been killed in combat, then removed the post. The article says there has still been no official Iranian confirmation of the death. Handala is described as a well-known Iranian hacking group closely tied to the regime.

In Israel, the group is known for hacks and intimidation campaigns, including alleged breaches of senior figures’ devices such as IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Iran researcher Raz Zimmt, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, and former prime ministerial chief of staff Tzachi Braverman. It has also claimed attacks on Israeli websites, including the Academy of the Hebrew Language, and mass harassment messages sent to Israelis during the war.