BEIRUT – An airport in Beirut faced chaos after its screens were hacked by a group deemed to be anti-Hazbollah.
The Rafic Hariri International Airport faced the issue on Sunday evening following a targeted hacking operation that disrupted departure and arrival screens, replaced with a pointed message directed at Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
The incident happened amid intensifying clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military at the southern Lebanese border; the screens displayed accusations against Hezbollah over the war with Israel.
The unauthorized message, signed as “Lord and the People,” condemned Hezbollah’s alleged role in weapon smuggling via Lebanon’s sole civilian airport, warning Nasrallah of the repercussions of dragging Lebanon into conflict.
The hacking was done by a group identifying itself as “The One Who Spoke” and featuring logos from the hardline Christian group “Soldiers of God”.
#WATCH: Information screens at #Beirut’s main airport were hacked on Sunday with a message to #Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah #Lebanon #Israel #Gaza https://t.co/ClHLvHtWrV pic.twitter.com/gEykAcnpIl
— Arab News (@arabnews) January 7, 2024
Despite the hacking and subsequent display screen shutdown, flights continued as scheduled, though the baggage handling was temporarily managed manually.
“This is Rafik Hariri Airport, not Hezbollah and Iran Airport. To Hassan Nasrallah, you will not find a helper if Lebanon is afflicted in a war and you bear responsibility for it and its consequences,” the message read.
“We will not fight on behalf of anyone. You blew up our port and now you want to blow up our airport because of the introduction of weapons. Let the airport be freed from the grip of the state,” it stated.
Meanwhile, Lebanese citizens also received text messages asking on behalf of the Middle East Airlines MEA to adhere to the instructions of the security services.
After the incident, the airport administration quickly turned off the screens and continued flight operations as usual.
