The software says Pegasus was developed by the controversial Israeli company NSO Group and has been sold to a number of oppressive regimes who have used it against journalists, human rights activists and other critical voices.
Earlier this week, the software was found on the phones of six Palestinian human rights activists, three of whom are employed by organizations backed by European countries but whom Israel recently accused of having links to terrorism.
The software can be installed in phones without the user noticing and then used for monitoring. This is the first time Pegasus has been found on phones belonging to Palestinian officials.
100 percent secure
Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed al-Deek confirms that “a professional Palestinian institution” found the spy program on the phones of three officials.
– We are 100% sure that these three phones have been hacked. They belong to senior officials, Deek says. Palestinian authorities accuse Israel of being behind.
– An obvious and immoral violation of international law, it is stated in a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Canadian Citizen Lab and Amnesty International previously confirmed that the NSO group’s program was found on the phones of six Palestinian human rights activists. It is not known whether they also helped scan the phones of the three officials.
Blacklisted by the United States
Israel has not confirmed that it is using the NSO group’s program, which was recently blacklisted by US authorities.
(© NTB)
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