Israeli sports websites targeted in large-scale cyberattack from Gaza

Shafaq News – Middle East

Prominent Israeli sports websites came under a large-scale cyberattack originating from the Gaza Strip overnight, Israeli media reported on Saturday.

According to the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, several websites, including those of basketball clubs Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Hapoel Tel Aviv, as well as the official site of Israel’s Premier Basketball League, were affected. Some websites were forced offline completely, while others had their content replaced with politically charged messages.

Attackers left a stark message on the compromised pages stating, "Time is running out," accompanied by a longer text reading, "From the heart of Gaza, from the heart of resistance that never surrenders. For the massacres you commit, there will be one response: resistance, weapons, and steadfastness until the very end."

The messages carried a sharply psychological tone, indirectly suggesting that Palestinian resistance factions were responsible, according to the newspaper.

As of Saturday morning, several affected websites remained offline, displaying blank pages without any content.

Israeli security authorities have initiated investigations to determine the scope of the cyberattack and identify the responsible parties, amid rising concerns over escalating cyber warfare linked to the ongoing conflict with factions in Gaza.