<p>Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz told his French counterpart his country took "seriously" espionage allegations concerning the Pegasus software developed by Israeli firm NSO that is suspected of targeting President Emmanuel Macron and other French officials.</p>.<p>Gantz said in a statement that he "raised the NSO subject" when he met French Defence Minister Florence Parly and that "Israel took the allegations seriously.</p>.<p>"He stressed that the state of Israel gave export authorisation for cyber products only to states and only to fight against terrorism and crime," the minister added.</p>.<p>Parly, who met with Gantz in the late afternoon in Paris, made no statement after the meeting.</p>.<p>Parly, a defence ministry source said Tuesday, aimed "to find out what knowledge the Israeli government had of the activities of NSO's clients, and what arrangements were put in place -- and will be in the future -- to prevent these highly intrusive tools being hijacked."</p>.<p>Pegasus can switch on a phone's camera or microphone and harvest its data, and is at the centre of a storm after a list of about 50,000 potential surveillance targets worldwide was leaked to human rights groups.</p>.<p>Amnesty International and French media nonprofit, Forbidden Stories, collaborated with a clutch of media companies, including the Washington Post, the Guardian and Le Monde, to analyse and publish the list.</p>.<p>Macron had to change his phone and number.</p>.<p>Israel's defence establishment has set up a committee to review NSO's business, including the process through which export licences are granted.</p>.<p>Pegasus's list of alleged targets includes at least 600 politicians, 180 journalists, 85 human rights activists and 65 business leaders.</p>.<p>NSO insists its software is intended for use only in fighting terrorism and other crimes, and says it exports to 45 countries.</p>.<p>Le Monde newspaper and Radio France said Macron's phone numbers and those of former prime minister Edouard Philippe, as well as 14 government members including foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, were on the list of numbers chosen by a Moroccan state security service that used Pegasus for a possible hack.</p>.<p>"If these facts are confirmed... we will consider all the consequences, but first it must be proven they are confirmed," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said after a cabinet meeting, adding that "verification" was under way.</p>.<p>Frequently accused of aiding authoritarian regimes, NSO insists its Pegasus software serves only in theory to obtain intelligence on criminal networks and terrorists.</p>.<p>Gantz told Parly that "official representatives had visted NSO offices on Wednesday," the minister said, without elaborating.</p>.<p>Gantz also discussed the Iran nuclear issue and met with Bernard Emie, the head of France's foreign intelligence service DGSE.</p>
<p>Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz told his French counterpart his country took "seriously" espionage allegations concerning the Pegasus software developed by Israeli firm NSO that is suspected of targeting President Emmanuel Macron and other French officials.</p>.<p>Gantz said in a statement that he "raised the NSO subject" when he met French Defence Minister Florence Parly and that "Israel took the allegations seriously.</p>.<p>"He stressed that the state of Israel gave export authorisation for cyber products only to states and only to fight against terrorism and crime," the minister added.</p>.<p>Parly, who met with Gantz in the late afternoon in Paris, made no statement after the meeting.</p>.<p>Parly, a defence ministry source said Tuesday, aimed "to find out what knowledge the Israeli government had of the activities of NSO's clients, and what arrangements were put in place -- and will be in the future -- to prevent these highly intrusive tools being hijacked."</p>.<p>Pegasus can switch on a phone's camera or microphone and harvest its data, and is at the centre of a storm after a list of about 50,000 potential surveillance targets worldwide was leaked to human rights groups.</p>.<p>Amnesty International and French media nonprofit, Forbidden Stories, collaborated with a clutch of media companies, including the Washington Post, the Guardian and Le Monde, to analyse and publish the list.</p>.<p>Macron had to change his phone and number.</p>.<p>Israel's defence establishment has set up a committee to review NSO's business, including the process through which export licences are granted.</p>.<p>Pegasus's list of alleged targets includes at least 600 politicians, 180 journalists, 85 human rights activists and 65 business leaders.</p>.<p>NSO insists its software is intended for use only in fighting terrorism and other crimes, and says it exports to 45 countries.</p>.<p>Le Monde newspaper and Radio France said Macron's phone numbers and those of former prime minister Edouard Philippe, as well as 14 government members including foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, were on the list of numbers chosen by a Moroccan state security service that used Pegasus for a possible hack.</p>.<p>"If these facts are confirmed... we will consider all the consequences, but first it must be proven they are confirmed," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said after a cabinet meeting, adding that "verification" was under way.</p>.<p>Frequently accused of aiding authoritarian regimes, NSO insists its Pegasus software serves only in theory to obtain intelligence on criminal networks and terrorists.</p>.<p>Gantz told Parly that "official representatives had visted NSO offices on Wednesday," the minister said, without elaborating.</p>.<p>Gantz also discussed the Iran nuclear issue and met with Bernard Emie, the head of France's foreign intelligence service DGSE.</p>