Representatives from the defense establishment visited the NSO headquarters on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, without specifying which offices visited the embattled company.
According to the announcement, the purpose was to begin assessing the security breach allegations brought against the NSO’s Pegasus.
A report by a group of 17 international media organizations and Amnesty International this month said the Pegasus spyware, made and licensed by Israeli company NSO, was used in hacking and attempts to hack smartphones belonging to journalists, human rights activists and government officials in several countries.
NSO has said its product was intended only for use by vetted government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime.
French Defense Minister Florence Parly will “seize the opportunity to ask her counterpart about the Israeli government’s knowledge of the activities of NSO,” a French government representative said on Wednesday.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who was in Paris on a 10 hour trip, met with Parly and told her that Israel takes the allegations “seriously” and that it is “examining the issue with utmost seriousness.”
“Israel gives cyber licenses exclusively to countries to be used only when dealing with terrorism and crime,” he said according to a statement released by his office.
Reuters contributed to this report.