Cyber Warfare in Gaza
Neve Walker
Communications Liaison
The Israel-Gaza conflict that has plagued the region since the creation of the Israeli state has been characterized by intense ground battles as well as airstrikes and political upheaval, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of military personnel and civilians, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Yet, recently, a new front has been established: the digital battlefield. Cyber warfare was once the domain of state-sponsored intelligence agencies and tech giants, yet now that war technology has evolved the geopolitical landscape, cyber space is being used as a platform for both state and non-state actors. From advanced espionage to disruptive attacks on infrastructure, as well as the spread of disinformation campaigns, the Gaza conflict has shifted into a new era where the fight is not only physical, but also digital. Because these attacks are both against military assets as well as civilians, the effects are moving across borders, further complicating the situation. Cyber warfare is not only reshaping the conflict in Gaza, but it is also highlighting the need for global regulations to address this rapidly innovating threat.
As the Gazan war shifts into the cyber sphere, cyber warfare has become a critical tool for both state and non-state actors, which results in the intensification of military operations, as well as complicating international efforts for conflict resolution. Cyber warfare is an essential aspect of modern warfare that requires global regulation and response. In recent years, warfare has adapted to the cyber domain, expanding as a vital part of modern conflict, focusing on disrupting, degrading, or manipulating information and data technologies. Power grids, banking systems, communication networks, and water supplies, and both military and civilian critical infrastructure, are vulnerable to cyber attacks. These attacks can cripple an entire economy of a country or simply an individual household. Cyber warfare can also include cyber espionage or intelligence gathering. State and non-state actors gather this intelligence to help designate their adversaries’ military capacities as well as their decision-making processes. Cyber tools are also used to conduct information warfare, spread disinformation, or manipulate public opinion with the purpose of creating chaos or confusion among the public.
Cyber warfare has become an increasingly vital aspect of the conflict between Israel and Gaza. While the physical battle is intensified with rockets, airstrikes, and blockades, a less visible aspect of the war is being fought in cyberspace. Both state actors like Israel as well as non-state actors like Hamas have used cyber tactics as part of their political and military strategies, making the cybersphere a key battleground and as important as ever. Hamas, although lacking the sophistication of major state actors, has improved its cyber capabilities, focusing on information operations that will lead to the degradation of Israeli trust through phishing, disinformation campaigns, and espionage. According to Cyber Security Intelligence, days following the Hamas invasion, Iranian state-aligned cyber actors initiated a wave of assaults against Israeli military operations to support Hamas and the “Shadow War”. Phase one of these attacks occurred within days of the invasion, involving hack-and-leak efforts against Israeli assets. Phase two was initiated by mid-October, the volume of attacks escalated and evolved to more destructive efforts, such as the deployment of wiper malware and the targeting of Industrial Control Systems. Along with this, Iran came out with an influence campaign against pro-Israeli entities to undermine support for ground operations. Phase three, continuing now but started in November, involves more advanced attacks in their capacity and capability.
Since the invasion, Tehran-aligned cyber operations have adapted to be more focused on undercutting public support of the war, as well as compromising rival infrastructure. The objective, according to Cyber Security Intelligence is “undermining Israel and its allies within the cyber domain, attempting to shape the information environment, creating the perception of weakness in Israeli defenses, diminishing global backing of Israel by emphasizing the damage caused by Israeli counter-distribution efforts against Palestinians within Gaza.” Since the start of the war there has been a transition towards a more proactive operational strategy targeting Israeli assets, moving away from the previously reactive stance that was taken after the initial invasion. Wiper malware, ransomware, and mobile spyware are involved in this operational approach, targeting many Israeli sectors such as finance, technology, and defense. This tactic is used to sabotage critical national infrastructure in Israel, as well as gather information. Cyber actors from Iran have also launched phishing campaigns against national security think tanks, but also NGOs, former military personnel, and diplomats. Because of the nature of the cyber domain, small non-state actors like Hamas can inflict more damage on actors like Israel, which would not be possible otherwise in conventional conflict. While not as sophisticated as other hacking groups, Hamas’ cyber capabilities should not be underestimated.
Israel has become a top target for Iranian cyberattacks since the start of the Gaza war. A Microsoft annual report acknowledged Iran’s surge in its cyber operations against Israel. From October 7, 2023, to July 2024, almost half of Iranian operations were observed to target Israeli companies. Before then, from July to October 2023, 10 percent of Iranian cyberattacks were targeted at Israel, while 35 percent targeted American entities, and 20 percent at the UAE, according to Microsoft. Along with these cyber attacks, Iran has also launched numerous social media operations to destabilize Israel. Part of this social media campaign included impersonating Israeli activists that are critical of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his actions during this conflict. “Tears of War” and “KarMa” are both accounts created under the Iranian intelligence unit to represent Israelis calling for Netanyahu’s resignation. Iranian services have also created a Telegram account using the logo of Hamas to spread misinformation about the hostages in Gaza as well as threaten Israelis. It is still not clear whether Iran acted with Hamas consent. The VOA News report said “Iranian groups also expanded their cyber-enabled influence operations beyond Israel, with a focus on undermining international political, military, and economic support for Israel’s military operations.”
Israel is not the only one victim to these attacks though. According to Opinio Juris, Israel fully controls the Palestinian cyberspace as well as information and communications technology infrastructure. Currently, Israel has been imposing internet shutdowns and communication blackouts in Gaza along with their other methods of warfare. Although some internet access was restored after, an IOTA report shows that the connectivity rate in Gaza lingered at 1 percent on November 23, leaving almost the entire population without internet or communication means. By December 2023, Israel destroyed all major communication networks in Gaza. Because Israel is withholding fuel and electricity, communication and internet providers are unable to generate the power necessary to operate. Along with this, most Palestinians have no smartphones in working order, as well as no electricity to charge their mobile phones. According to Save the Children, limited aid can be permitted into Gaza and cannot be distributed to more than a million people in need beyond the Gaza-Egypt border area of Rafah. Because of these blackouts, agencies like Save the Children are unable to coordinate assistance beyond Rafah into Gaza.
The question of Israeli-Palestine sovereignty was addressed by United Nations Resolution 181 and called for two independent states: one Arab Palestinian state and another Jewish Israeli state. In this Resolution, the city of Jerusalem was supposed to be international. According to the Global Conflict Tracker, Hamas launched their attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023. Following these attacks, Israel and the IDF launched an aerial and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, replacing more than 85 percent of the population (nine out of every ten Palestinians), and killing 42 thousand since then. Of these deaths, it is estimated that 70 percent of the casualties were women and children. This conflict has created increased regional tensions across the Middle East, with Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Iran intervening. Israel’s bombardment targeted and destroyed civilian objects protected under International Humanitarian Law. According to the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, around 70 percent of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed. Along with this, Israel has implemented a siege of Gaza, which has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, as well as a shortage of needed resources like water, food, and medication. It has been estimated that these shortages threaten the survival of 2.3 million Palestinians. Along with this, there has been a cut to the electricity supply in Gaza, resulting in the collapse of hospitals and water and sanitation services as well as ongoing blackouts. According to the Human Rights Council, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has determined that Israel’s actions constitute war crimes as well as crimes against humanity during its military occupation of Gaza since October 7th. These crimes include starvation as a method of warfare, sexual violence, torture, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians.
Overall, cyber warfare has become an integral part of the Israel-Gaza conflict, representing a new wave of modern warfare where both state and non-state actions are able to leverage digital tactics for political, military, and psychological warfare. Hamas, despite having limited military capabilities, have used tactics such as phishing, espionage, and disinformation campaigns with the goal of destabilizing Israel and amplifying its reach that would not be feasible through traditional warfare. Because both Israel and Hamas, as well as third-party actors, have adapted to this cyber domain, the future of cyber warfare in Gaza will likely involve more sophisticated methods of digital conflict. Looking forward, we can see that cyber warfare in Gaza will evolve with increasingly advanced cyber tools. This could lead to more destructive attacks on critical infrastructure, such as communication networks and power grids. These methods could potentially cripple military as well as civilian life in Israel. On the other hand, Israel’s dominance over Gaza’s cyberspace could lead to more internet shutdowns, communication blackouts in essential areas, and targeted cyber attacks against Hama’s digital capabilities. Non-state actors like Hamas, cannot compete in terms of military capacities yet they are able to enhance their cyber operations, with backing from states like Iran, to transition to more coordinated cyber campaigns aimed to manipulate global public opinion, as well as spread disinformation and erode international support for Israel. This escalation into the digital sphere highlights the need for international regulations as well as cooperation to address this growing threat of cyber warfare. This conflict’s new digital dimension emphasizes that modern warfare is not just a matter of physical territory, but now a need for control over information and technology.
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