Israel imposes media restrictions on soldiers amid ongoing war crimes

The Israeli military has introduced new restrictions on media coverage of soldiers on active combat duty in response to growing legal threats against reservists traveling abroad.

The move follows an incident in Brazil, where a reservist left the country after a judge ordered an investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Why it matters

The restrictions aim to shield Israeli soldiers from legal actions instigated by international activist groups and protect their identities, especially as global scrutiny over the conflict in Gaza increases.

This also highlighted the mounting international pressure on Israel regarding alleged war crimes.

Details

New restrictions

• Media outlets are now barred from showing the full names or faces of soldiers ranked colonel or below during interviews.
• Soldiers cannot be directly linked to specific combat events.
• These rules mirror existing restrictions for pilots and special forces.

Background

• A reservist in Brazil faced allegations of war crimes from a pro-Palestinian group and fled the country following a judicial order for investigation.
• Activist groups have reportedly been using social media posts by soldiers to connect their identities to combat events in Gaza.

International concerns

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas leader for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
• Activist groups, such as the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation, are pressuring governments to investigate Israeli reservists traveling abroad.

Statements

This is our new guideline to protect our soldiers and to make sure they are safe from these types of incidents hosted by anti-Israel activists around the world.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani

Existing rules

• Soldiers are already prohibited from posting photos and videos from war zones on social media.
• Guidelines for soldiers traveling abroad have been in place for years, though enforcement is challenging with a large army.

Zoom out

These developments reflect increasing international scrutiny of Israeli military actions in Gaza, with global activist groups leveraging social media evidence to push for accountability.

Israel’s new media restrictions seek to address these risks while underscoring the broader challenges of managing international legal and reputational fallout from the conflict.