Anti-Israel Telegram channel leaks details of 35,000 IDF soldiers in bid to prosecute Israelis for 'war crimes'

The International Criminal Court (ICC) last Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged “war crimes” against the terrorist organization, Hamas, in Gaza.

However, it is not only Israeli leaders who are under attack for defending the country against the Iranian-backed militias Hamas and Hezbollah. On Sunday, Middle East Spectator, an anti-Israel Telegram channel, published the names and contact information of approximately 35,000 IDF soldiers and members of Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency. The publication of personal data appeared to be an attempt to prosecute Israeli soldiers for alleged war crimes.

While individual IDF soldiers have increasingly been exposed on social media following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year, international law expert Hilly Mooderick-Even Khen argued that this is not a new phenomenon.

“This phenomenon is not new,” said Even-Khen who is the chair of the Ariel University Center for the Research and Study of Genocide. “It began about 20 years ago with the proliferation of universal jurisdiction,” he told The Media Line. 

At the beginning of this year, the pro-Iranian and pro-Hamas South African government formally accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Holland. Israel and its allies have categorically denied the charges of “genocide” and “war crimes.” 

"On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists brutally attacked, tortured, killed and kidnapped innocent people in Israel,” the German government stated in January. “Hamas's goal is to wipe out Israel. Since then, Israel has been defending itself against the inhumane attack by Hamas," Berlin added. 

Furthermore, Israel and its supporters have emphasized that Hamas deliberately uses civilians in Gaza as human shields while attacking Israeli civilians – a double war crime under international law. 

Even-Khen argued that the Israeli military is guided by a strong legal system, which regulates the conduct of IDF soldiers. 

“There is no concrete suspicion because the IDF has a robust legal system that advises units on how to apply the relevant provisions of treaties that regulate the laws of armed conflict,” he said.

“But it is important that the military and civil legal system in Israel be alert about all of the IDF activities and whenever a suspicion arises, conduct an investigation of the suspicions in good faith,” he added.

“Eyal,” a pseudonym for an Israeli military reservist, revealed that images of soldiers he posted online were published by a Telegram channel called, “Israel Genocide Tracker.” 

“I changed my privacy settings now so that no account that I am not familiar with can access my photos,” Eyal said. “My page was public beforehand. But the information they posted about me is not accurate. Much of it is lies. The same goes for friends of mine.”

“I guess it might not be a good idea to travel to Europe anytime soon,” he added.

In early November, Muslim gangs attacked Israeli and Jewish soccer fans in Amsterdam. At least 10 Israelis were injured in what was described as a pogrom. 

The Israeli military reportedly forbids IDF soldiers from posting real-time images and sensitive information from military operations. 

“At the very beginning of the war, we were told not to post pictures of where we were in real time but could post them afterward with no telltale signs of where they were taken,” Eyal recalled.

“We were told that even though this is forbidden, the army knows there is no real way to prevent it from happening,” he added.