Axios reported that Israeli agencies are likely using the controversial spyware "Pegasus," developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, to track missing and kidnapped individuals in Gaza following last month's Hamas attack. "Pegasus" allows surveillance of phones by accessing messages, data, images, and contacts, and can remotely activate the microphone and camera. Bloomberg cited sources last month stating that Israeli security forces are utilizing specialized companies that manufacture spyware, including NSO, to aid in tracking hostages held by Hamas.
The NSO Group is blacklisted in the United States, which prohibits federal agencies from using its software, and the company has launched a significant lobbying effort to have its name removed from that list. A source close to the company told Axios on Tuesday that many Israeli agencies are likely using the "Pegasus" program, capable of hacking into phones, "to help track individuals abducted by Hamas, as well as those who went missing during the attack."
NSO collaborates with other companies and former employees to track and unlock the phones of individuals who have been killed or gone missing and terrorists, according to the report. A source noted that it remains unclear whether the Israeli government has assurances that the program will not be used for widespread surveillance of Palestinians.
