Anonymous takes on Israeli websites, wipes Jerusalem bank

Anonymous has launched a hacking campaign against a number of Israeli sites in protest of attacks taking place on Gaza. The hacking spree, dubbed OpIsrael, has resulted in so many Israeli websites being defaced or shut down through methods including denial of service (DoS) attacks, that it's hard to keep count. However, some enterprising hacktivists have begun compiling lists of affected websites.

Targets have included governmental, retail, and businesses -- some belonging to the automotive and fashion industries. The bank of Jerusalem has received particular attention from the hacktivists, as the cyberattackers crowed over their achievement in deleting the organisation's online database through social network Twitter. 

According to the latest list, 663 sites have been affected. In an earlier blog post, the collective claimed that 127 Israeli sites were defaced in one of the first waves -- and the number keeps rising. A press release from

Anonymous says that when the government of Israel publicly threatened to sever all Internet and other telecommunications into and out of Gaza, "they crossed a line in the sand." The statement continues: "As the former dictator of Egypt Mubarack learned the hard way -- we are ANONYMOUS and NO ONE shuts down the Internet on our watch.

" Anonymous finished with a stark warning to government if it persists in trying to cut telecom and web links. In addition, the collective said that unless attacks cease, the Israeli government "will know the full and unbridled wrath of Anonymous. And like all the other evil governments that have faced our rage, you will NOT survive it unscathed."