Vague new threat messages terrorize Israelis!

Over the past few hours, Israel has witnessed a new wave of vague threatening messages that have reached the phones of thousands of citizens, in an incident that brought anxiety back to the forefront just days after a similar incident.

The messages, likely linked to a hacking group known as Hanzala, contained vague phrases suggesting an unusual event occurred in the middle of the night.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the content of the messages spoke of “a blazing sky,” “luminous objects that aren’t stars,” and terrifying voices, causing widespread fear among the recipients.

In an earlier message, a direct phrase was received: “We’re coming… Watch the sky at midnight”.

The mystery was heightened by the revelation that the messages were sent from phone numbers registered in Britain, making it difficult to trace who was responsible.

This wave came less than a week after messages that were described as more dangerous, as they contained direct threats and attached personal information, including ID numbers of some recipients.

These developments have raised questions inside Israel about the level of cyber penetration and the ability of official institutions to protect personal data, amid fears of psychological and security repercussions on the home front.

The messages coincided with an Iranian hacker group calling itself as “Hanzala” announcing that it had hacked into accounts belonging to prominent Israeli figures, including current and former officials, and obtained data it described as sensitive.

These events also come against the backdrop of tensions inside Iran, where the country has been witnessing widespread protests since late December 2025 that began for economic reasons before developing into confrontations and political slogans against the regime, amid official accusations by Tehran of Washington and Tel Aviv of being behind what it described as riots.

In related context, the United States called on Monday its citizens in Iran to leave the country immediately, citing continued demonstrations and security risks that threaten their safety.

The virtual US Embassy in Tehran issued an official warning calling on US citizens to develop a plan to leave Iran independently, without relying on direct assistance from the US government, stressing the need to move to safe places inside homes or protected buildings if it’s not possible to leave immediately.

The warning follows White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt saying the US president prefers the diplomatic option in dealing with Iran, but did not rule out the possibility of resorting to military force if necessary.

Iran is witnessing escalating protests that began on December 28 in the Grand Bazaar in the capital, Tehran, against the backdrop of the sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial and the worsening economic crises, and later spread to several cities.

From his part, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the scale of popular discontent, asserting the government’s responsibility for the economic crisis and urging officials not to blame external factors such as the United States.

Iranian authorities haven’t released official data on the death toll, but the US-based human rights agency HRANA reported on January 12 that 646 people had been killed, including 133 security personnel and prosecutors, and more than 10,000 people had been arrested.