The Israeli military has imposed new restrictions on media coverage of active-duty soldiers on the battlefield. The decision was made to avoid any legal complications over alleged war crimes in Gaza while traveling outside the country. British news agency Reuters reported this.
In response to questions from reporters, an Israeli army spokesman, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, said that from now on, army personnel with the rank of colonel or below cannot be shown their full names or faces during interviews. Also, no indication can be given as to whether the interviewee was involved in a particular incident of war.
The decision comes in the context of local authorities launching an investigation against an Israeli soldier on vacation in Brazil. A Brazilian judge has ordered police to investigate after a pro-Palestinian group filed charges against the soldier for alleged involvement in war crimes in Gaza. The member then quickly left Brazil.
Shoshani said there are many anti-Israel activities going on around the world. The decision has been taken to protect our army from these.
He also said that there is already a ban on sharing pictures or videos from the battlefield on social media. It is not always possible to enforce the rule perfectly, since the size of their forces is quite large. Apart from this, there are rules for military personnel to travel abroad as well.
