Adraee was born in 1982 in Haifa.[citation needed] His maternal grandparents immigrated from Iraq,[4] his grandmother from his father's side immigrated from Turkey, and his grandfather from his father's side was born in Mandatory Palestine. He studied at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa.[citation needed] His father reportedly encouraged him to learn Arabic at home, and he later honed his skills in school and through watching classic Egyptian films.[4] While he was exposed to Iraqi Arabic at home during his childhood, he states that he learned the Arabic he knows from school.[5]
When he enlisted in the IDF, he served in Unit 8200 in the Intelligence Corps, a unit that deals with signals intelligence. There, he expanded his knowledge of Arabic before joining the Spokesperson’s Unit in 2005.[5] When he reached the rank of Staff Sergeant at the age of 22, he was offered his current position - the head of the Arab media department in the IDF Spokesperson's Office following the Israeli disengagement from Gaza.[4] Adraee made his media debut during the 2006 Lebanon War. A few years prior, the Israeli Foreign Ministry sought to influence Arab public opinion by appointing Arabic-speaking spokespersons to engage with both local and international Arabic-language media. A 2004 Haaretz article highlighted a shift in communication strategy, noting that the prevailing view was "not to communicate with the enemy." The initial Israeli army spokesman faced criticism for being seen as too "Western."[6] Adraee emphasized the role of social media, stating "The idea was to use social media not only to disseminate press releases but also to generate discourse among specific target audiences. We are looking to influence, not just do PR."[4] Adraee was then sent to an Officer's Training School and was promoted to the rank of Major. In November 2018, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.[citation needed]
Adraee has frequently appeared on Arabic media channels to represent the Israeli perspective. In 2018, he engaged in a debate on Al Jazeera’s "The Other Side" program, representing the Israeli position against former Syrian officer Saleh Qirata, who questioned Israel’s aerial operations in Syria. During the discussion, Adraee asserted that the downing of an Israeli F-16 was not a significant event and highlighted Israel's continued air superiority and its capability to destroy a substantial portion of the Syrian anti-aircraft system in response. He affirmed that Israel would continue to assert its air superiority and conduct operations against regional threats, particularly from Iranian forces.[7] That same year, Adraee sparked significant controversy by posting a two-part Arabic video on X that featured overt anti-Shia rhetoric and referenced scholars associated with the Islamic State (IS), leading many to believe this was an effort by Israel to incite Sunni sectarian tensions against Iran.[8] He is frequently invited by major news channels, particularly in the Gulf, to provide commentary.[6]
Former Lebanese Prime MinisterSaad Hariri faced criticism in January 2012 after he replied with a simple "hello" to a tweet from Adraee. Hariri later asserted that he was unaware of Adraee's identity and indicated that he would not have responded had he known, stating "Israel is our enemy."[6] In 2013, Adraee encountered significant criticism from Egyptian social media users after sharing photographs from a visit to Egypt taken 13 years prior, during which he expressed fond memories of his trip, provoking backlash over perceptions of his presence as a "Zionist".[9] In 2021, he told the Israeli online media outlet Mako, "I speak Arabic all day long, and I dream in Arabic from time to time."[6]
In 2024, Adraee accused Al Jazeera Media Network of concealing Hamas's activities. He claimed, "I am convinced that he knows the names of a great number of the Hamas terrorists among those killed in the school. But he presents a lie, the motivation for which has nothing to do with the residents of Gaza," referring to Al-Jazeera Arabic journalist Anas Al-Sharif, who had been reporting on the war in Gaza since its onset.[4]
Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi confers the rank of colonel to Avihai Adrai, July 2, 2024.
Throughout the Israel–Hamas war and Israel–Hezbollah conflict, Adraee's name has been frequently mentioned, from official statements to televised remarks that attract large audiences across the Middle East. He has issued warnings for residents in Gaza and Lebanon to evacuate specific areas ahead of impending Israeli air strikes. However, according to Amnesty International, these evacuation warnings have been described as "misleading," with civilians not being given adequate time to escape to safety.[4]
Over the years, Adraee has achieved widespread recognition, becoming a household name and a figure of both criticism and humor in the Middle East.[4] He is particularly known for his strong social media presence on platforms like TikTok and X.[6] As of December 2023, he had more than 554,000 followers on X, a slightly larger following on TikTok, and 2.5 million followers on Facebook.[6] Adraee has been described as "Israel's face and voice to the Arabic-speaking world".[5] He has developed a controversial reputation in recent years for quoting the hadith and Quran on social media, which many perceive as an attempt to provoke Muslims.[8] He is recognized as "Sheikh Adraee" among Palestinians.[6] Adraee also delivers sharp criticisms aimed at prominent figures such as former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, frequently utilizing videos and occasionally cartoons.[6] While the Israeli military asserts that his intent is to engage with the Arabic-speaking community in a positive manner, he often serves as the first official Israeli voice that Arabic speakers encounter on social media during attempts to justify actions in Gaza and elsewhere, which many view as atrocities.[8] Regional newspapers have raised alarms about his aims to "influence Arab consciences" while acknowledging Israel's evolving "more professional and sophisticated" propaganda tactics. Israeli media celebrate Adraee for his role in "building bridges between Israel and its neighbors."[6]
On 15 January 2024, Adraee was reportedly the primary target of a car-ramming attack in Ra’anana, carried out by Palestinian militants motivated by his prominent role as the Israeli military's Arabic spokesman. This information was revealed in a police report a month later, indicating that the attackers had been planning the assault for months, with one of them having previously spotted Adraee, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries during their violent spree.[8]
Rafah is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine. It is the capital of the Rafah Governorate of the State of Palestine, located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. As a result of massive bombardment and ground assaults in Gaza City and Khan Yunis by Israel during the Israel–Hamas war, about 1.4 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering in Rafah as of February 2024.
Media played an important part of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict. Foreign press access to Gaza has been limited since November 2008 via either Egypt or Israel. On 29 December 2008, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered that journalists be allowed into Gaza whenever the crossings were opened, but the IDF refused to comply. There have been arrests of journalists due to violations of wartime censorship in Israel, and these have been denounced by international press organizations. Media infrastructure, including Al-Aqsa TV transmission equipment and foreign and local press offices, were hit during the conflict. Media relations also played an important role, with the use of new media on the part of Israel, as well as a clear public relations campaign.
Al-Shifa Hospital was the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza Strip, located in the neighborhood of northern Rimal in Gaza City.
Al Jazeera Arabic is a flagship news channel that primarily caters to an Arabic-speaking audience. Al Jazeera English, launched in 2006, is the English-language counterpart to Al Jazeera Arabic. According to Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera Arabic is editorially independent from Al Jazeera English, although it shares the same editorial vision. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network.
Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar was a Palestinian militant and politician who served as chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from August 2024, and as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip from February 2017, until his death in October 2024, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh in both roles.
Mass civilian casualties of Israeli bombing, shelling and rocket attacks on the Gaza Strip have occurred in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, in which Israeli bombing attacks on the Gaza Strip cause numerous civilian fatalities. The reason for such operations is purportedly to carry out targeted assassinations of militants from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups seen to be a threat to Israel, whose Shin Bet data banks monitor thousands of Palestinians for targeting. Israel regards such cases as either unfortunate errors, the consequence of civilians being allegedly used to shield militants, or as acceptable collateral damage.
The year 2023 in Israel was defined first by wide-scale protests against a proposed judicial reform, and then by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which led to a war and to Israel invading the Gaza Strip.
Following clashes at Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, many rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip, Southern Lebanon, and Syria by Palestinian militants. This led to the bombing of these areas by the IDF.
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place in the Gaza Strip and Israel since 7 October 2023. It is the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, and the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War in 1973. It is the deadliest war for Palestinians in the history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
On October 31, 2023, Israel bombed the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip – an event that was called the Jabalia camp massacre in the Muslim world.
Events of the year 2024 in Israel.
The battle of Jabalia was a battle fought between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian forces in Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, as part of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The Hamas organization has a permanent and established presence in Lebanon. The presence gained prominence following the announcement of the formation of the Al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards unit by Hamas in Beirut in 2023.
On January 15, 2024, during the Israel–Hamas war, a combined vehicle-ramming and stabbing attack occurred in the industrial zone of Ra'anana. One civilian was killed and eighteen others were injured. The two attackers, Palestinian residents of Bani Na'im in the Hebron area, were arrested.
Rawan Osman is a Syrian-born activist, now a refugee in Germany holding German citizenship. She advocates for the normalization of relations between Middle Eastern Arab states and Israel.
During the Israel–Hamas war there have been a very large number of incidents of deliberate killings of people who were not actively engaged in combat. In addition to unarmed civilians, many of the soldiers and militants who were killed - and often reported simply as militants or soldiers, as if they died in combat - were not actively engaging in hostilities at their time of death. There have also been many alleged assassinations, summary executions, deaths in custody, or other extrajudicial killings, with varying amounts of evidence.
On August 17, 2024, Israel attacked a warehouse in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, killing at least 11 people and injuring four others. All people killed in the attack were Syrian refugees.
Israeli public diplomacy in the Israel–Hamas war, also referred to as Hasbara in the Israel–Hamas war or Israeli propaganda in the Israel–Hamas war refers to the Israeli effort towards bringing more favor of global public opinion to Israel and its actions during the Israel–Hamas war.
This timeline of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict covers the period from 2 January 2024, with the Assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, until 31 March 2024, one day prior to the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Israel 
