SNOOPING

U.S., British Spies Hacked Israeli Drone Feeds

In efforts dating as far back as 1998.

According to documents from a Edward Snowden leak, the United States and Britain both hacked and monitored the Israeli air force’s secret communications, going at least as far back as 1998. The U.S. National Security Agency and Britain’s GCHQ reportedly engaged in the effort, codenamed Anarchist, via a Cyprus base, and spied on Israeli air force missions in the Gaza Strip, Syria, and Iran. Among the information gathered in the hacking: images purportedly confirming the existence of the long-rumored fleet of Israeli missile-carrying drones. The U.S. government has not commented on the reports, while the Israeli government has attempted to downplay the damage from the intel breach.