Hackers group Anonymous has taken down over 1,000 important Israeli websites after it launched a new cyberattack campaign against Israel called #OpSaveGaza, in support of the Palestinian people.

The websites were taken down in a coordinated attack on July 11 and 17.

Among those hacked were Tel Aviv Police Department's through distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

The website and other Israeli government homepages, were replaced by graphics and slogans and auto-playing audio files made by AnonGhost, the team of hackers who coordinated the attack, according to a report by ibtimes.co.uk

The audio file plays music and a synthesized newsreader clip, along with messages calling for human rights organisations, hackers and activists to attack Israeli websites to become the "cyber shield, the voice for the forgotten people."



Meanwhile, the Israeli government jobs website has had its homepage replaced by a graphic titled "Akincilar", which is Turkish for the Ottoman Empire's troops.

A message written in English and Turkish, accompanied by pictures of Palestinians suffering, says: "The Jerusalem cause is Muslims' fight of honour", adding that people who fight for Palestine are "on the side of Allah."

Email addresses of Israeli government websites were also leaked by the hackers, obtained from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Ministry of Housing and Construction, among others.

Israel's social and business sectors too were not spared. Websites belonging to restaurants, businesses, societies, foundations and a even symphony orchestra were attacked.

However, many of the websites have since been restored.

This is not the first time Anonymous, known for its sly, vigilante activities, had carried out a large scale coordinated cyber attack on Israel.

In April, about 500 Israeli websites went offline during the #OpIsrael campaign.

The hackers reportedly released phone numbers and email addresses of some Israeli officials.