Hackers Threaten to Leak PM Netanyahu's Advisor's WhatsApp Messages

Pirate websites are threatening to publish all WhatsApp conversations belonging to Yonatan Urich, a close advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These threats emerge approximately two weeks after a security breach was revealed concerning Urich's personal WhatsApp account, which raised concerns about the exposure of sensitive communications. It remains unclear at this stage whether the threatening parties are actually in possession of the conversations.

In late September, it was discovered that Urich had connected his personal WhatsApp account to an external service operating from the United Arab Emirates. This service was part of a system designed to monitor media coverage of the Prime Minister and his wife. The connection granted the service full, unencrypted access to conversations and content passing through the account, potentially including sensitive information.

The current threat follows a series of cyberattacks targeting senior Israeli officials over the past year. In December 2025, the pro-Iranian hacker group "Handalah" published conversations and contact lists from former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's account. Bennett confirmed his Telegram account had been breached but stated his phone itself was not compromised. In April 2026, the same group claimed to have infiltrated the device of former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, releasing dozens of his personal photos and videos, including footage with his family and senior officers.