The United States has announced sanctions against four leaders of Hamas' cyber and drone operations based in Gaza and Lebanon. The State Department spokesperson revealed that operatives of the terrorist group Hamas have been utilizing information warfare and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to facilitate terrorist violence across various fronts.
The individuals sanctioned include:
- Hudhayfa Samir 'Abdallah al-Kahlut, spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas in Gaza
- William Abu Shanab, commander of the Lebanon-based al-Shimali unit
- Bara'a Hasan Farhat, an assistant to Abu Shanab
- Khalil Muhammad 'Azzam, an intelligence official
The al-Shimali unit, led by Abu Shanab, is responsible for managing the development and production of various weapons, including automatic 120mm mortars, mobile launchers for Grad rockets, flight simulators, UAVs for intelligence gathering, and suicide UAVs, as outlined by the Treasury Department.
The State Department emphasized that the US will continue to target Hamas's efforts to launch terrorist attacks and disrupt their operations, including in cyberspace.
Private experts tracking Hamas and Hezbollah have noted that both groups have developed moderately effective cyber capabilities in recent years. Hamas has reportedly engaged in espionage campaigns targeting Israel and Arab governments. In a recent interview, Israel's cyber defense chief alleged that Hezbollah-backed hackers breached private security cameras in Israel to monitor Israeli soldiers' movements.
