Anonymous declares 'cyberwar' on Israel

Notorious Internet hacking collective Anonymous has reportedly claimed responsibility for taking down some Israeli sites and leaking passwords because of what it calls the country's 'barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment' of Palestinians.

Anonymous posted a list of over 650 Israel-based websites it says it has taken down or defaced since last week.

According to CNN, a page associated with Anonymous also posted a new threat.

"November 2012 will be a month to remember for the (Israel Defense Forces) and Internet security forces. Israeli Gov. this is/will turn into a cyberwar," it said.

The report came after the Israeli government on Sunday said it has been hit with over 44 million cyberattacks since it began aerial strikes on Gaza last week.

"The war is being fought on three fronts," Carmela Avner, Israel's chief information officer, said on Sunday in a press release.

"The first is physical, the second is the world of social networks and the third is cyberattacks," he added.

According to the report, Avner also said that 'the attackers are attempting to harm the accessibility of Israel's government websites on an ongoing basis.'