Media sources reported that the Israeli public prosecutor charged a man on Sunday with impersonating a soldier to join the Gaza war and steal ammunition. This was revealed as he appeared in a photo on the front lines with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the indictment submitted to the court in Tel Aviv, the accused, Roy Yivrach, never served in the Israeli army but managed to make his way into war zones by pretending to be a member of an elite combat unit in the internal security agency (Shabak).
Channel 12 television aired an image it claimed showed the 35-year-old wearing full combat gear with other soldiers alongside Netanyahu at a helicopter landing site. The Prime Minister's office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The indictment stated that the ruse "facilitated Yivrach's access to firearms, ammunition, military equipment, and police gear," adding that the stolen items found in Yivrach's home included an assault rifle, various kinds of ammunition, smoke grenades, and pouches. The five charges against him, which include fraud and theft, could result in a maximum sentence of 36 years in prison. However, Yivrach's lawyer stated that the defendant should be praised.
Lawyer Eitan Sabag told Channel 12, "My client is a medic... he saved lives under fire while risking his life and eliminating terrorists," adding that "the accused, under these circumstances, is the State of Israel, not Roy Yivrach."
