Hackers targeted at least two Israeli media sites early Monday morning, the anniversary of the 2020 killing of a top Iranian general, replacing its content with an image that depicts an exploding target from a recent Iranian military drill designed to look like the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near the city of Dimona.

The Twitter account of the Hebrew-language Maariv was hacked with an image depicting a missile coming down from a fist bearing a ring long associated with Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq two years ago. The caption on the image states: “We are close to you where you do not think about it,” in English and Hebrew.

The website of The Jerusalem Post, which has the same owners as Maariv, was hacked with the same image.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the hacking.

Israeli newspaper Maariv’s @MaarivOnline twitter account has been hacked by Iranian hackers who posted a picture showing a ring launching a missile and a note that read “we are close to you where you don’t think about it” pic.twitter.com/IGQgmybG72

— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) January 2, 2022

In a tweet, the Jerusalem Post acknowledged being the target of hackers.

“We are aware of the apparent hacking of our website, alongside a direct threat to Israel,” the English-language newspaper wrote. “We are working to resolve the issue & thank readers for your patience and understanding.”

The newspaper later restored its website. It noted Iran-supporting hackers previously targeted its homepage in 2020 “with an illustration of Tel Aviv burning as then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swam” with a life preserver.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli government. The hack comes after Israel’s former military intelligence chief in late December publicly acknowledged his country was involved in Soleimani’s killing.

Iran also did not immediately acknowledge the hack. However, the country has in recent days stepped up its commemorations of the slain Revolutionary Guard general. Memorial services were scheduled to be held Monday marking his death.

Meanwhile, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday it had received reports of an attack on a ship, giving its location as off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, near the contested port city of Hodeida, a crucial route for international trade.

The coordinates it offered corresponded to the Emirati-flagged landing craft Rwabee, which hadn’t given its location via satellite-tracking data for hours, according to the website MarineTraffic.com. An employee at the vessel’s owners, Abu Dhabi-based Liwa Marine Services, told The Associated Press that the Rwabee appeared to have been the target but said they had no other information and declined to comment further. The employee did not give her name and hung up.

As the head of the Quds, or Jerusalem, Force of the Revolutionary Guard, Soleimani led all of its expeditionary forces and frequently shuttled between Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. Quds Force members have deployed into Syria’s long war to support President Bashar Assad, as well as into Iraq in the wake of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, a longtime foe of Tehran.

Soleimani rose to prominence by advising forces fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in Syria on behalf of the embattled Assad.

U.S. officials say the Guard under Soleimani taught Iraqi militants how to manufacture and use especially deadly roadside bombs against U.S. troops after the invasion of Iraq. Iran has denied that. Many Iranians to this day see Soleimani as a hero who fought Iran’s enemies abroad.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem & AP)