Jerusalem (TIP): French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on reports that Morocco’s security forces may have used the Pegasus spyware to snoop on his cellphones, according to a media report.

A global media consortium last week reported that 50,000 cellphone numbers were being spied on using the Pegasus malware, which has been developed by Israeli cybersecurity company NSO Group. The mobile phones of French President Macron and 15 members of his government may have been among potential targets, according to a member of the media consortium. Macron telephoned Bennett and asked him to ensure that “the issue was being taken seriously”, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Saturday evening. The Israeli PM said the allegations were from a period when he had not assumed office but assured that the required conclusions on the matter will be reached upon.

The Moroccan government has denied reports that the country’s security forces used the spyware to eavesdrop on the French President. Similarly, the NSO Group has denied that the French President was targeted. A source close to Macron played down the risks, saying the French leader had several phones which were “regularly changed, updated and secured”. — PTI