IDF Tightens Media Rules After Reservist Faces War Crimes Inquiry in Brazil
The Israel Defense Forces has imposed new restrictions on media coverage of soldiers in active combat duty, aiming to shield them from potential legal action abroad over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. The policy follows an incident where a reservist vacationing in Brazil abruptly left the country after a judge ordered an investigation into claims by a pro-Palestinian group.
Under the updated rules, media outlets are prohibited from displaying the full names or faces of soldiers ranked colonel or below during interviews, and they cannot link soldiers to specific combat events, military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani announced. These restrictions mirror existing rules for Israeli pilots and special forces.
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The military also reiterated its ban on soldiers posting videos or images from war zones on social media, citing activist groups’ use of such content to identify individuals, including orginzations that are reportedly tracking soldiers using their social media posts to push for international investigations.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Israeli military actions. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
