The Israeli army has announced new measures to conceal the identities of soldiers of all ranks, amid arrest warrants and investigations of suspected war crimes in Gaza.
According to the Israeli broadcaster Channel 13, concerns about soldiers being arrested abroad has prompted the army to change procedures regarding the exposure of soldiers to the media.
The army said in a statement on Wednesday that troops in all combat sectors and of all ranks will now have their faces blurred in pictures and their full names concealed.
Previously, the practice of blurring soldiers’ faces was reserved only for those within special units and the Israeli Air Force. Today, only those of the rank of brigadier general and above will be shown without hiding their faces and full names.
Soldiers in lower ranks will only be presented by the first letter of their given name. Photographs will be taken from behind or edited, and will be subject to approval by the military before publishing.
Those with multiple citizenships will also have their identities hidden from the media.
Additional procedures will also include guidance from the International Law Department of the army’s Military Prosecution for each soldier and officer before any interview or media appearance.
The decision for these measures was taken following several arrest warrants over the past few months, with one of the most recent cases in Brazil earlier this week, when an Israeli soldier accused of war crimes fled Brazil amid an investigation into his actions in Gaza.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a pro-Palestine advocacy organisation, filed a criminal complaint last week accusing the soldier, who was in Brazil as a tourist, of involvement in the Israeli military’s systematic demolition of civilian homes in Gaza.
On Saturday, a Brazilian court instructed police to investigate the soldier for war crimes.
In a statement, the HRF accused Israel of orchestrating his departure to obstruct justice, adding that “there are also indications that evidence is being destroyed”.
A complaint by the same organisation was also filed in Chile and Argentina just a few days earlier.
Guide to avoid arrest
Following the recent cases of arrest warrants, there have been discussions in Israeli media over soldiers avoiding legal repercussions abroad.
A guide published by Israeli news outlet Ynet instructed soldiers on how to avoid being arrested while travelling abroad amid growing pressure on countries to detain Israelis suspected of war crimes.
The guide, entitled “Here’s how to act if arrested abroad and what to check before flight”, features advice from Nick Kaufman, a defence lawyer at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
He says that “any detained Israeli – whether a civilian or a soldier – is entitled to consular assistance”.
“Soldiers who post videos online provide hostile organisations with potential evidence to support suspicions against them,” he warns.
Describing videos of Israeli soldiers singing “racist songs” as “seemingly minor content”, he advises soldiers to “avoid posting photos or videos from their service, especially content showing destroyed buildings, even if there’s a military justification”.
The guide warns soldiers to consult an international criminal law expert before travelling anywhere, warning that “even friendly nations like the UK, France and Spain” may conduct arrests.
It further notes that insurance companies do not provide coverage “for arrests abroad related to alleged criminal acts”.
