Turkish hackers hold brief video call with Israel Katz and publishes image

A Turkish hacker group published the phone number of Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, and even managed to briefly call him on Thursday evening. 

Ynet reported that one of the hackers launched a video call with Katz, which he accepted. 

During the call, the hacker hurled insults at the defence minister and took a screenshot of his face, before the call was disconnected by Katz. 

The Turkish group later published the picture. 

It also published a screenshot of a number of messages it sent to Katz on WhatAapp. 

The first message reads: “Hey Katz, never forget this, your death is near, we are the defenders of Qassam, we will bury you and your country in history,” apparently referring to the armed wing of Hamas. 

The next two messages read: “What the hell happened?” and “Did you block me, dog?”

The final message only has one tick next to it, indicating that Katz blocked the number. 

A Turkish hacker could call Israeli defense minister Israel Katz via Whatsapp. Katz then blocked him. pic.twitter.com/LnsaaaLuax

— İbrahim Karataş (@ibratas1) September 11, 2025

According to Ynet, Katz has maintained the same phone number for several years. It added that his number has been circulated in various groups in the past. 

Katz received “thousands” more hostile messages after his number was published, some of which were automated, Ynet reported. One of the threats said “we will kill you”. 

The 69-year-old has been Israel’s defence minister since November 2024. 

His predecessor, Yoav Gallant, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza. 

Katz has spearheaded plans to confine Palestinians into what has been labelled a “concentration camp” on the ruins of the southern city of Rafah in Gaza. 

He said the plan would initially involve the ejection of 600,000 displaced Palestinians currently living in camps and makeshift homes in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza to an area in the ruins of Rafah city. 

Once they arrive in this new zone, security screenings would take place. They won’t be allowed to leave once they’ve entered

He said that once concentrated in the new city, Palestinians would be encouraged to “voluntarily” leave the Gaza Strip for other countries, as part of an “emigration plan” which “will happen”. 

Katz’s plan appears to be an attempt to manifest US President Donald Trump's proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian enclave. 

Last week, Katz threatened the “death of firstborns” in Yemen, invoking biblical plagues. 

He said that Israel would bring “the plague of darkness” and “the plague of the death of the firstborns” upon Yemen's Ansar Allah, the group commonly known as the Houthi movement. 

He added that Israel would “complete all 10 plagues” against the group, referring to the disasters which God sent to the Pharoah in the Book of Exodus, including the death of firstborn sons.