Hackers attacked the IT systems of Rafic Hariri International Airport on Sunday evening, acting Tourism Minister Walid Nassar confirmed to the state agency NNA. Instead of departure and arrival times, travelers were suddenly shown messages against the Shiite Hezbollah on screens.
The baggage handling system was also temporarily disrupted. The messages were directed against Hezbollah, which is powerful in Lebanon and whose confrontations with Israel’s army have intensified in the wake of the Gaza war, and directly against Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. “Hassan Nasrallah, you will have no defenders if Lebanon is drawn into war,” it read. Hezbollah is bearing the consequences. “We fight on behalf of no one.” Initially no one claimed responsibility for the attack.
Security forces tried to keep operations at the airport running normally with an emergency plan. Authorities said they were investigating the incident. Concern is growing in the region about an even larger military confrontation between the Shiite Muiliz Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel on their shared border. The situation is particularly tense following the killing of a Hamas leader in Beirut in a suspected Israeli airstrike.
