Israel army Twitter account hacked issuing 'nuclear leak' warning

Israeli defence Twitter account warned of nuclear leak after rocket attack, causing brief flurry of panic

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Getty Images)

Israel said its defence forces Twitter account was hacked after it issued a warning about a "nuclear leak after a rocket attack".

A tweet from the verified Twitter account of the Israeli Defense Force (@IDFSpokesperson) initially warned of a "possible nuclear leak in the region after two rockets hit Dimona nuclear facility", causing a brief flurry of panic.

The tweet was deleted soon after as Israeli officials reported a security breach and apologised for the incident, adding: "Our Twitter account was compromised. We will combat terror on all fronts including the cyber dimension."

The Syrian Electronic Army, which supports President Bashar al-Assad and has hacked various news organisations over the past year, claimed responsibility for the hack, the Times of Israel reported.

The incident comes as tensions in the region continue to run high after the deaths of three Israeli teenagers and an Arab youth, Mohammed Abu Khudair, who Palestinians claim was killed in retaliation for the killing.

Abu Khudair was last seen alive being forced into a van on Wednesday near his home in the Arab neighbourhood of Shuafat in Jerusalem, a day after the burials of the Jewish teenagers, who were abducted on 12 June while hitch-hiking near the West Bank.