Israeli charged with posing as IDF officer in aftermath of Oct. 7 named as Assaf Shmuelevitz

By Emanuel Fabian

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22 January 2026, 10:42 am

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

An undated photo of Assaf Shmuelevitz, who is accused of posing as an IDF officer on October 7, 2023, and the following days. (Courtesy of the Shmuelevitz family)

After over two years, the name of an Israeli man who was charged with posing as an IDF officer in the first days of the war, during which he illegally obtained and shared confidential information, is permitted for publication.

The “impersonating officer” is named as Assaf Shmuelevitz. The announcement comes following legal requests to release further information surrounding the case for publication by the Ynet news site.

Shmuelevitz’s attorneys had appealed to the Supreme Court against a decision by the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court to publish his name, which has now been rejected.

According to the indictment filed in November 2023, Shmuelevitz arrived in southern Israel on the morning of October 7, 2023, and joined IDF troops while posing as a reservist officer with the rank of captain. He, in fact, had not been called up for reserve duty.

The charge sheet said Shmuelevitz entered operations rooms and documented classified conversations at the Southern Command, and in several cases shared the top secret information with civilians and soldiers who were not approved to have it.

Assaf Shmuelevitz (2nd from left, standing) is seen during a security assessment held by then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other senior officers at the IDF Southern Command on October 9, 2023. (Defense Ministry)

He was charged with obtaining something fraudulently under aggravated circumstances, providing confidential information, possession of secret information without authority, and entering a military zone.

Shmuelevitz’s family responds to the publication of his name, saying that “for more than two years, they turned our Assaf from a patriotic, values-driven, and outstanding Israeli officer, as he was, into a spy and a traitor.”

“The indictment filed against Assaf was disproportionate, with no connection whatsoever to the findings of the investigation conducted by the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the police. At worst, Assaf committed an information security offense, for which he should have faced disciplinary proceedings within the military framework, and this is a classic case of selective enforcement,” they say.

Shmuelevitz’s trial is ongoing, and he is currently being held in involuntary commitment.