The cyber units of the Israeli intelligence, especially the 8200 unit of the IDF and the cyber unit of the Shin Bet, have an important part in the recent operations to thwart terrorist attacks by terrorists from the West Bank and also in the arrests and targeted killings of members of the “Lions’ Den” group operating in the city of Nablus.
Security officials in Israel confirm that the IDF and Shin Bet have made extensive and successful use of cyber warfare in the past year against Palestinian terrorism in the West Bank.
The terrorist organizations have begun to understand the danger they face from the Israeli cyber units and are already taking precautions.
Various instructions began to be published on social networks for the wanted terrorists to be careful and take defensive measures.
The guidelines for wanted terrorists include several elements.
A. Prohibition to use social networks and apps.
B. Prohibition on the use of cellular telephones.
C. Make sure to be masked in any activity against Israel.
Palestinian officials claim that the Israeli intelligence follows all the accounts of the wanted persons and their families on social networks as well as their friends, analyzes all the information through the speakers of the Arabic language and builds their profiles.
The wanted terrorist also fear the activity of the IDF’s UAVs that were recently introduced for use in the West Bank territories, which also have the ability to launch rockets at terrorists after identification and the use of spy satellites.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials admit that Israel has a great intelligence advantage over them thanks to the enormous technological development of the Israeli intelligence units, but they claim that the danger to the wanted activists can be reduced if they take the necessary precautions.
Hamas praises the terrorist Udai al-Tamimi from the Shoafat refugee camp who avoided using his cell phone after carrying out the murderous attack at the Shoafat checkpoint and thus prevented the Shin Bet and the police from following him for about two weeks and even managed to carry out another shooting attack at the entrance to the city of Ma’ale Adumim.
The awareness of the terrorist organizations to the dangers they face from Israeli cyber unts increase the battle of wits between Israeli intelligence and the wanted terrorists, but Israeli security officials say that they take this into account and make sure to refine and develop the methods of operation of the cyber units.
