Cyber defense chief Yossi Karadi warned on Tuesday that Israel needs to bolster its preparedness for what he described as a fast-approaching “cyber war” driven by artificial intelligence agents that will replace the physical battlefield.

“We are heading toward a reality where a war will begin and end in the digital domain,” said Brig. Gen. (res.) Karadi, head of the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INDC), at the 2026 Cybertech Global conference in Tel Aviv. “The first cyber war driven by AI agents won’t begin with a siren; it will begin with the disruption of services, of decision-making, and of daily life.”

“A war where no bullet is fired, no tank moves, no aircraft takes off, and yet a country can be defeated,” he cautioned.

Karadi called on decision-makers to “ensure national readiness for this war across government, industry, and society.”

“Since October 7, 2023, we have been at war, and the cyber front is only intensifying,” said Karadi, referring to the Hamas-led massacre that began the war in Gaza. “Speed and agility are critical to develop defensive solutions before our adversaries develop attack vectors.”

Karadi disclosed that in 2025 alone, his INDC handled more than 26,000 cyberattacks, a 55% increase over 2024. Israel ranks as the third most attacked country in the world, according to Microsoft’s latest data, with 3.5% of all global cyberattacks directed at Israel over the past year.

“Gladly, most of the attempts were detected and prevented,”........

© The Times of Israel