Israel to form commission to probe into claims of police hacking phones using Pegasus spyware

The Israeli government will be forming an inquiry commission to probe into the claims that the police allegedly used Pegasus spyware to hack the phones of government officials, business magnates, journalists and former PM Benjamin Netanyahu's associates.

The Israeli government announced on Monday that a state commission of inquiry will be set up to probe into the explosive claims made by a newspaper that the police force allegedly used a sophisticated spyware to hack the phones of top government officials, business magnates, journalists and associates of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The move comes after widespread condemnation from several quarters and the clamour for an investigation from Israel’s President, cabinet ministers and politicians, who have dubbed these allegations as “disturbing and deeply concerning”.

Public Security Minister, Omer Barlev, said that he was going to establish a commission to look into the claims that the Israel Police had conducted extensive extrajudicial spying, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserting that “if the reports are true, they are very serious.”

READ: Pegasus creator NSO Group's rival surveillance firm has also been helping governments hack into iPhone

“I have decided to set up a government-appointed commission of examination to investigate in depth the violation of the civil rights and privacy of citizens in the years in question,” Barlev said.

Unlike a state commission of inquiry, a government commission, known under the law as a government-appointed committee of examination, does not require approval by the full cabinet for its establishment, media reports said.

The decision comes in the wake of an explosive revelation made by a business daily, Calcalist, a few weeks back, alleging that police used the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to hack into the phones of government officials, mayors, activists, journalists and family members and advisers of Netanyahu.