What started as a seventh wedding anniversary celebration in Cyprus turned into a dramatic evacuation when an Israeli reserve officer was forced to flee the country after anti-Israel activists spotted his social media posts and filed war crimes complaints with local police.
The officer, identified only as 'A', came under scrutiny after videos from his Gaza service circulated online, including one where he was heard saying "we won't stop until all of Gaza burns." A Belgian organization used these posts to file police complaints in Cyprus.
"It was one of the most stressful experiences of my life," the officer told friends in messages obtained by Israel Hayom. "Five minutes before Shabbat, I got a call that turned everything upside down - a government official warned that a genocide and war crimes complaint had been filed against me."
Israeli foreign ministry officials quickly arranged an emergency evacuation, getting the officer on the first available flight after Shabbat ended.
The incident has exposed a significant gap in official guidance. Neither the IDF, National Security Council, nor Foreign Ministry currently warn soldiers about social media risks while traveling abroad, despite similar incidents in Belgium and Cyprus in recent months.
"I appreciate how the state protected me," the officer wrote, "but this could have been prevented with one simple instruction: 'Don't post on social media while abroad.'"
*"Keep traveling and enjoying, but don't reveal your location,"* he warned fellow soldiers. *"'Human rights' organizations are tracking us, waiting to find us abroad. It can end in serious trouble."*
The IDF and National Security Council have not yet commented on the incident.
Israel Hayom contributed to this article.