Iranian hackers managed to access all the data on Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's personal mobile device, potentially exposing him to blackmail, Hadashot 12 reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the former chief of the general staff was informed of the hack five weeks ago by Shin Bet security agency officials who said that Iranian state intelligence now has possession of his texts, photos and other personal information. The phone contained no classified material.
The Shin Bet declined to comment.
Gantz has become the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The former IDF chief's newly formed Blue and White bloc is polling ahead of Netanyahu's Likud party and could get the first shot at forming a government after the April 9 election.
"It should be emphasized that the incident in question happened some four years after Gantz finished his term as [military] chief of staff and the current timing of its publication raises many questions," Blue and White said in a statement.
A Likud spokesman responded: "We are not involved in this."
