A former Israeli soldier who served in the military’s spokesperson unit has publicly admitted to manipulating information provided to journalists, describing how the army deliberately shaped media coverage, labelled innocent Palestinians as terrorists and prioritised protecting its reputation over telling the public the truth.
Ayelet Kreuzer, who joined the Israeli military during the war believing she was defending her country, has now broken her silence about what she witnessed from inside the institution responsible for communicating the army’s actions to Israeli and international audiences.
Her testimony offers a rare insider account of how the Israeli military manages public perceptions of its operations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including its devastating war on Gaza.
According to Kreuzer, the objective was not simply to inform the public. It was to maintain confidence in the military at home and secure international legitimacy for its operations abroad, even when doing so came at the expense of the truth.
The revelations emerged as Kreuzer announced her appointment as the new spokesperson for Breaking the Silence, an Israeli non-governmental organisation that publishes testimonies from former soldiers concerning military abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories.
From Believing She Was Defending Israel to Exposing Its Military Messaging
Kreuzer’s account begins with an unexpected decision to join the Israeli army.
Raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, she had previously been exempt from military service. Three years ago, however, she cancelled that exemption and enlisted during the war.
At the time, she believed her decision was justified.
“I joined the army to take part in what I then believed was defending the state,” she explained.
What followed would fundamentally change her understanding of the institution she had chosen to serve.
Kreuzer said she never imagined that her military service would eventually lead her to Breaking the Silence, much less that she would become actively involved in the organisation.
“I never imagined that when my military service ended, instead of going on the big trip or beginning my studies, I would break my silence. I certainly never thought I would choose to take on a larger role within the organisation and start working there.”
Her transformation was not simply the result of witnessing conditions in the occupied territories.
It came from observing how the Israeli army communicated those conditions to the public, and how information was selected, framed and presented to shape perceptions of military conduct.
Inside the Israeli Army’s Public Relations Machine
During her service in the Israeli military spokesperson’s unit, Kreuzer gained insight into both the situation in the occupied West Bank and Gaza and the mechanisms used to present military activities to the public.
“During my work in the Israeli army spokesperson’s unit, I became familiar not only with the reality in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but also with the way the army chooses to present that reality to the public,” she said.
What she witnessed led her to question the purpose of the military’s communications apparatus.
Kreuzer described an institution with enormous influence over how Israelis understand events involving Palestinians, but one that, in her account, operated more like a public relations agency than a body accountable to the public.
“I saw how much control the army spokesperson has over shaping our perception of reality, and how problematically it manipulates the truth, as though it were just another public relations agency rather than an institution accountable to the public.”
Her account raises questions about the distinction between military communications and information intended to influence public opinion.
According to Kreuzer, the army’s communication strategy was built around two separate audiences, each with a different objective.
For Israeli citizens, the priority was strengthening confidence in the armed forces.
For international audiences, the objective was securing greater acceptance and legitimacy for Israeli military operations.
In neither case, she said, was the public’s right to accurate information treated as the primary concern.
“The objective of the army spokesperson’s work with the Israeli public was defined as strengthening public trust in the military, while the public’s right to know was, at best, secondary,” she explained.
“The objective of its work with international audiences was to strengthen and expand the legitimacy of military operations. Here too, the price was the truth.”
‘I Manipulated the Details Published in the Media’
Perhaps the most consequential part of Kreuzer’s testimony concerns her own involvement in preparing material distributed to news organisations.
Rather than presenting herself merely as an observer of questionable practices, the former soldier acknowledged participating directly in the process.
“During my service, I manipulated details published in the media,” she admitted.
She also described witnessing the use of language that portrayed Palestinians as legitimate military targets, including individuals she said were innocent.
“I saw how the label ‘terrorist’ was attached even to innocent Palestinians, and how statements were formulated to suit the intended audience and their specific purpose.”
The admission raises questions about the reliability of military statements that journalists and news organisations rely upon when reporting on Israeli operations.
Kreuzer’s account suggests that the wording of those statements was not necessarily determined by the facts alone, but also by the reaction the military wanted to produce among particular audiences.
That distinction is especially consequential in coverage of the occupied Palestinian territories, where official military statements can influence how civilian casualties, military operations and accusations of wrongdoing are presented internationally.
The former soldier acknowledged the contradiction between her personal values and the work she had been performing.
“I was never someone who could remain silent in the face of injustice, but here I found myself required to do public relations for it.”
How the Army Communicated the Killing of Civilians in Gaza
Kreuzer also described how the Israeli military spokesperson’s unit handled announcements concerning Palestinians killed during military attacks in Gaza.
Her account portrays the communication of mass casualties as an established routine, with expressions of regret incorporated into statements reporting deaths.
“I learned how to formulate a report about dozens of people being killed in a single attack, and then automatically add the phrase that we regret any harm to uninvolved people,” she said.
“That was part of the routine of my service.”
The testimony offers an insight into how the military presented incidents involving large numbers of deaths.
According to Kreuzer, the process involved combining reports of fatal attacks with standardised language expressing regret for civilian harm.
Her description raises questions about whether such statements were intended primarily to communicate accountability or to manage public reaction to the consequences of military operations.
The former soldier’s comments are particularly relevant given the scale of Palestinian casualties in Gaza and the role of Israeli military statements in shaping international coverage of the war.
They also illustrate the broader criticism at the centre of her testimony: that the military’s communications apparatus treated public perception as an operational priority, sometimes at the expense of accurately conveying the reality of its actions.
Breaking the Silence Welcomes Kreuzer’s Decision to Speak Out
Kreuzer’s decision to publicly discuss her experiences marks a transition from serving within the Israeli military’s communications structure to challenging the narratives it produces.
Breaking the Silence, the organisation she has joined as spokesperson, collects and publishes accounts from former Israeli soldiers concerning the military’s conduct in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The organisation welcomed her appointment in a message published on X, expressing support for her decision to expose what she witnessed.
“Ayelet, we could not be prouder or happier that you are joining us. It is time to tell the truth about the occupation,” the organisation wrote.
Kreuzer concluded her own statement by urging other former soldiers who served during the war to speak publicly about their experiences.
“That is why I will not remain silent. If you served during the war, do not remain silent either.”
Her appeal places responsibility on those who participated in military operations or witnessed their consequences to challenge accounts they believe conceal or distort the truth.
Her Testimony Comes as Gaza’s Death Toll Reaches 74,609
Kreuzer’s revelations come against the backdrop of the enormous human and material destruction inflicted on the Gaza Strip during Israel’s military campaign.
Earlier on Monday, Gaza’s Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that 15 Palestinians had been killed during the preceding 24 hours.
The latest fatalities brought the reported death toll since 8 October 2023 to 74,609 Palestinians.
Women and children account for a substantial proportion of the victims, while the destruction extends far beyond the immediate loss of life.
According to the figures cited by Gaza’s authorities, Israel has destroyed approximately 90 per cent of the territory’s infrastructure.
The United Nations has estimated the cost of reconstruction at approximately $71.4 billion.
Meanwhile, Israeli restrictions continue to prevent the agreed quantities of food, medicines, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated homes from entering the Gaza Strip.
Approximately 2.4 million Palestinians remain in catastrophic humanitarian conditions, including an estimated 2.15 million people displaced from their homes.
The continuing restrictions have compounded the consequences of widespread destruction, leaving displaced families dependent on inadequate shelter and limited humanitarian assistance.
Israel’s Conduct Remains Under International Legal Scrutiny
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has also become the subject of proceedings before two major international courts.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Separately, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ principal judicial body, is considering a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the territory.
Several other countries have joined the proceedings.
These legal developments form part of the wider scrutiny surrounding Israel’s military conduct, particularly the treatment of Palestinian civilians and the scale of destruction across Gaza.
Kreuzer’s account addresses a different but closely connected question: how the Israeli military communicates that conduct to the world, and what happens when maintaining public support becomes more important than presenting the facts.
Her testimony does not independently establish the accuracy of every allegation concerning Israeli military communications. It does, however, provide a first-person account from someone who says she participated in manipulating information distributed to the media.
For journalists, that admission raises questions about how official statements should be scrutinised, particularly when they concern Palestinian casualties, allegations against civilians and the justification of military operations.
Kreuzer has now moved from helping shape the Israeli army’s public narrative to publicly challenging it.
And her final message to those who served alongside her is clear: remaining silent is itself a choice.
