The Israeli government is asking its own citizens not to become vigilantes after at least one Israeli apparently hacked Saudi credit cards to revenge the recent hacking of Israeli credit cards.

“We call on Israeli citizens to abide by (the law),” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in a statement that was quoted by Reuters. “Just as the Israeli government has found answers for terrorism, we will find answers to this challenge ... we call on Israeli citizens not to ... act as vigilantes.”

A hacker, who is believed to reside in Saudi Arabia, last week published online the confidential details from credit cards belonging to thousands of Israelis.

Ayalon compared the hacking to “a terrorist operation” and said the hacking was similar to a “battleground.”

This week, an Israeli hacker, called “OxOmar,” reported he hacked into Saudi credit cards – in revenge for the earlier attack.

The hacking attack against Israel – one of the most serious ever in the history of the Middle Eastern nation –  may have been “politically motivated,” according to Reuters (News - Alert).

“We will take firm action against those who compromise our security including through cyber-terrorism, and if necessary we will use international law enforcement,” Ayalon was quoted by Reuters. “Cyber-terrorism is the new battleground and just as we defeated our opponents on every other field ... we will defeat this as well.”

The hacker against Israel claimed to leak information about 400,000 Israelis. But the actual number was far less, with credit card companies saying 25,000 card numbers were posted online. Many of these were actually expired cards, so the real number may be closer to 15,000.

However, one Israeli blogger claims the hacker was a “19-year-old citizen of the United Arab Emirates studying and working in Mexico,” the Haaretz newspaper reported.

Then, this week, a Saudi hacker published details of another 200 Israeli credit cards, in retaliation for the Israeli hacker publishing details on over 200 Saudi Arabian credit cards, according to Haaretz.

Meanwhile, the Hamas terrorist group called the hacking “a new form of resistance,” according to Reuters. “Use all means available in the virtual space to confront Israeli crimes,” a Hamas spokesman was quoted by Reuters.

YNET said the hackers against Israel called themselves “Group-XP” and claimed the attack was a “gift to the world for the New Year,” which “would hurt the Zionist pocket,” according to a report carried on TMCnet.

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