Israel's domestic espionage scandal is gaining momentum. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed to take action after new reports emerged that police had illegally used Pegasus malware to hack the phones of dozens of prominent figures, AFP reported.

The latest news from the business daily Calcalist alleges that Pegasus has been used against the son of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers, as well as against activists, senior government officials, businessmen and others.

Calcalist previously reported that a controversial piece of malware that can turn a phone into a pocket spy device was being used by police against leaders of the anti-Netanyahu protest movement.

Hours after the article appeared, Bennett vowed that his government won't leave this unanswered.

The publications clearly describe a very serious situation that is unacceptable for a democracy, Bennett said.

These cyber tools were designed to fight terrorism and serious crime, not to be used against citizens, he added.

Pegasus is malware created by the Israeli firm NSO and at the center of months of international controversy following revelations that governments around the world were using it to spy on activists, politicians, journalists, and even heads of state.

Israel has been heavily criticized for allowing the export of invasive technology to states with a poor human rights record, but Calcalist's publications sparked domestic outrage.