New IDF guidelines: ‘Your son is probably among those killed’

The army has released a series of new personnel directives, including notifying families of the death of a loved one in battle before it’s confirmed, and no longer allowing parents to change their minds on an only child going into combat duty.

The changes are meant to respond to societal changes and issues that arose in the wars Israel has fought over the last 10 years.

Reacting to the fact that social media and rumors now reach people faster than official communications, the army will now quickly inform families that a loved one has “probably” been killed in order to avoid situations in which bereaved parents find out via WhatsApp or via other means, according to Walla news.

Other changes include creating a hotline for worried relatives and friends to find out if someone in combat is okay and centralizing the way the army receives donations during wartime.

The army will also no longer allow parents who gave permission for their only child to serve in combat duty to revoke that permission, after nine soldiers were pulled from battle by their parents during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, according to media reports.