As a protest over Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, Anonymous has announced that it has either damaged or completely erased over 650 Israeli websites including the Bank of Jerusalem. The group claims that it has completely erased the bank’s database.
The protest has been named OpIsrael. It started Thursday morning.
In addition to taking down websites, Anonymous has posted more than 2,000 email addresses and passwords from an Israeli real estate site.
A number of the sites taken down have been restored, but there are still ongoing cyber attacks.
Anonymous has, of course, loudly announced their attacks to the world with heavy handed rhetoric. Especially on Twitter where they’ve live-tweeted a number of attacks:
Israel, all your base are belong to us.
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) November 16, 2012
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs database has been deleted | mashav.mfa.gov.il | #OpIsrael
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) November 16, 2012
Bank of Jerusalem database has been deleted | bankjerusalem.co.il| #OpIsrael #Anonymous
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) November 16, 2012
The corrupt fear us. The honest support us. The heroic join us. #Anonymous
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) November 18, 2012
Warning. Do not vist financeisrael.mof.gov.il/FinanceIsrael/… botnet infection
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) November 18, 2012
It’s a little surreal to call these hacks attacks as people are actually dying in Gaza, but then again everything about this war is surreal, especially how much of it has played out on Twitter.