Israeli Army restricts soldiers’ social media use after deadly Base attack

TEL AVIV(Israel): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is moving to tighten restrictions on soldiers’ social media use after an internal probe revealed that Hamas exploited online posts to map out Nahal Oz base before its October 7 attack.

During the October 7 attack on Nahal Oz, 53 soldiers were killed and 10 more were taken captive.

New measures include a ban on photography inside IDF facilities, strict penalties for violations, and security classifications for a wider range of military roles. Soldiers and officers in various positions will also be prohibited from using Facebook and other platforms to prevent intelligence leaks.

Additionally, the army will restrict the public from filming civilian-attended ceremonies and events.

The investigation found that photos shared by soldiers on their first and last days in their roles allowed Hamas to create a detailed model of the base. This intelligence enabled the group to locate generators, surveillance cameras, safe rooms, the coordination centre, patrol movements, and the sleeping quarters of commanders.

While the probe noted that Hamas was also able to gather intelligence on Nahal Oz using drones and from the news media, investigators found that soldiers left enough indicators on social media to give Hamas an almost complete breakdown of the base ahead of the October 7 attack. Palestinians captured during the war told interrogators they were even able to build models of parts of Nahal Oz for training.

Investigators also found that soldiers at Nahal Oz received no warning before the attack. Protocols did not address responding to rocket fire or protecting unarmed non-combat soldiers, and that drills simulating a ground assault had not taken place in years.

According to a series of army probes — summaries of which were released publicly on Thursday — some 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to attack numerous Israeli communities and overrun the army’s border positions. The army’s chain of command broke amid the chaos and soldiers were outnumbered. For years, the army misunderstood Hamas’s intentions, and as October 7 approached, intelligence about the looming attack was misinterpreted.

The military was also more focused on threats from Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The army’s probes only deal with issues of operations, intelligence and command, not decisions made by the political echelon.

There have been growing calls for the government to appoint an independent commission of inquiry to investigate political and military failures. Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice. They may include personal recommendations about individuals under investigation, though the government is not bound to act on them.

Pressed by lawmakers to explain why no state commission of inquiry has been established into the failures of October 7 after 17 months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he opposed a “politically biased” panel. His remarks were marred by scuffles that broke out between bereaved families and Knesset guards.

The last state commission of inquiry, which investigated Israel’s worst civilian disaster—a stampede that killed 45 people at a holy site on Mount Meron — held Netanyahu personally responsible for the tragedy in a report released in April.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’ attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS)