Israeli hackers “likely” behind Beirut Airport cyber attack
It was reported on January 7 that the airport in the Lebanese capital Beirut was hacked as it was believed that anti-Hezbollah messages were displayed on terminal screens and other notice boards, according to Christian TV network LBCI Lebanon.
The country’s security forces blamed their neighbours, Israel, for the cyber attack. Tensions between the two countries are the highest they have been since the 2006 war and dozens have been killed in cross-border skirmishes since October 7, mostly from Iran-backed militants Hezbollah.
Media in Lebanon circulated a message urging the Lebanese militants “to not drag Lebanon into war”.
Much has been made of the neglected UN Resolution 1701 recently. The agreement calls on Hezbollah to retreat behind the Litani River, a key water source in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country would take matters into their own hands should the militant group continue to refuse to retreat.
READ: Lebanon prepares for war with Israel as tensions grow
As well as a “protest against Hezbollah” the terminal screen messages also displayed the emblem of the Soldiers of God, a Christian extremist group in Lebanon notorious for its targeting of the LGBT community.
After the group were made aware of the messages displayed at the airport, they strongly denied any involvement in the hack.
Due to the Soldiers of God distancing themselves from the attack, an anonymous Lebanese security source said that Israel were the likely culprits.
The source also noted, “We have a lot of work to do before we have a clear picture,”
A day prior to the airport cyber attack, Hezbollah fired around 60 rockets into an Israeli base in Meron (situated in the country’s north).
Shortly after the Hezbollah retaliation, an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on January 1 killed Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force (the group’s special operation forces unit) commander Wissam Tawil, Israel confirmed that a military base was struck but did not go into detail regarding the damage caused.
LBCI Lebanon/ The Times of Israel
