On Tuesday, threat actors hacked into the online video stream of the Eurovision semi-finals held in Tel Aviv, Israel and used their access to issue fake warning messages of a missile attack on the city. They also broadcast animated satellite footage showing explosions across Tel Aviv.
KAN, the Israeli TV channel that has the rights to broadcast the song contest, blamed the attack on Hamas, and said that they managed to stop the attack and regain control of the targeted systems within minutes.
Palestinian and international activists supportive of the BDS movement are calling for a boycott of the song contest, stating that “Israel is shamelessly using Eurovision as part of its official Brand Israel strategy, which presents ‘Israel’s prettier face’ to whitewash and distract attention from its war crimes against Palestinians.” However, none of the 41 contestants has pulled out of the contest so far.
Read more: Israeli TV Eurovision webcast hacked with fake missile alert
