Last Saturday, a violent military operation unfolded as Hamas launched a devastating incursion. Israel answered with a powerful aerial and ground response, targeting the Gaza Strip, while civilian access to water, food, gasoline, and electricity was disrupted. As clashes escalated in the streets, cyber activists and criminal networks worldwide began to engage, turning the conflict into a battle that also plays out online.
In the early phases of the crisis, at least a hundred groups initiated a wave of cyber activity. According to the FalconFeedsio intelligence platform, the attacks targeted both Israeli and Palestinian infrastructure. Security firms note that many of these efforts are distributed denial of service campaigns, designed to overwhelm servers with vast numbers of requests and bring services to a halt.
Self-styled hacktivists attacked critical infrastructure in both nations, including banking and energy sectors. They briefly disrupted media sites such as The Jerusalem Post on a recent Sunday. Pro-Palestinian actors like AnonGhost have claimed data breaches and attempted to disrupt alert services meant to warn of missile threats, sometimes triggering false alarms to sow panic.
Pro-Russian groups
Among those announcing participation are Islamic groups aligned with the Palestinian cause, but there is also visible involvement from actors tied to Russia such as Killnet, UserSec, and Anonymous Sudan. These groups have a history of targeting governments and companies that oppose their agendas, intensifying online activity after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and expanding their footprint in cyber operations.
Alex Leslie, a threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, explained to WIRED that the current landscape is international in scope yet bound by pre-existing ideological blocs within hacktivism.
The breadth of tactics makes it hard to measure scope and motive. Some actors pursue access denial to critical services, while others stage nonexecuted cyberattacks to spark fear, spread misinformation, or showcase capabilities for credibility and recruitment. Positioning themselves amid a globally followed conflict can amplify their visibility and influence.
Unequal cyber warfare
The Israel-Palestine cyber arena mirrors the imbalances seen on the ground. For years, Israel has cultivated a robust technology sector closely integrated with its national security ecosystem, a combination that has elevated its role in cybersecurity and surveillance. National data shows Israel hosts a significant share of the world’s cybersecurity unicorns, underscoring the country’s capacity to innovate and defend against digital threats.
As a result, many cyber actors mobilize from diverse corners of the world against Israeli targets while Hamas’ operational footprint online remains comparatively limited. The broader campaign to constrain electricity and internet access in Gaza illustrates how a digital siege compounds traditional military actions, complicating humanitarian relief and communications in the region.
Observers remind that the cyber dimension is still developing. Rob Joyce, the National Security Agency’s cybersecurity leader, cautioned that while the current level of activity is notable, the possibility of more concerted and damaging operations remains. The evolving threat landscape calls for continued vigilance, clear attribution where possible, and coordinated defense across borders to mitigate cascading effects on civilians and critical services.