Israeli military tightens media regulations over war crime prosecution concerns

The Israeli military has implemented new restrictions on media coverage of soldiers engaged in active combat, driven by increasing concerns over potential legal repercussions for reservists traveling internationally due to allegations of war crimes in Gaza.

This decision followed an incident where an Israeli reservist on vacation in Brazil had to leave the country abruptly after a Brazilian judge mandated an investigation by federal police, prompted by claims from a pro-Palestinian organization regarding his conduct during his service in Gaza.

According to the updated regulations, media outlets are prohibited from revealing the full names or faces of soldiers ranked colonel and below during interviews. This policy mirrors existing restrictions for pilots and special forces personnel, as explained by Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson. Furthermore, interviewees must not be associated with any specific combat incidents they were involved in.

“This guideline aims to safeguard our soldiers and ensure their protection from incidents instigated by anti-Israel activists globally,” Shoshani stated.

He noted that current military protocols already discourage soldiers from sharing videos and images from conflict zones on social media, although compliance is not always perfect given the size of the military. Additionally, there are established rules and guidelines for soldiers traveling abroad. Shoshani pointed out that activist organizations, such as the Hind Rajab Foundation based in Belgium, have been “connecting the dots” between soldiers who share content from Gaza and their subsequent vacation photos and videos.

In the previous year, the International Criminal Court released arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, citing alleged war crimes in Gaza, which sparked significant backlash in Israel. Shoshani noted that there have been “a handful” of instances where reservists traveling internationally faced scrutiny, including the situation in Brazil, all initiated by activist groups urging authorities to conduct investigations. “They did not initiate an investigation, nor did they file any charges,” he stated.