A Breach in Troop Security: The eSIM That Could Expose Soldiers' Locations

The IDF has revealed a serious security breach: soldiers in southern Lebanon purchased eSIMs and, without knowing, connected to the Lebanese cellular network. This exposes them to the risk of being located by Hezbollah and to information leakage. The military ordered the app to be deleted, tightened procedures, and is considering installing antennas on the border.

The IDF is operating in southern Lebanon, with its forces deployed up to 12 kilometers from the border line. Recently, a serious breach in troop security was discovered: many soldiers purchased eSIMs, which tourists use to stay in touch, without buying packages from the local operator. This connection creates a situation where they connect to the Lebanese cellular network, which provides their data traffic. Thus, soldiers are exposed to the possibility that entities in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, could locate the phones, learn the forces' positions, and even extract information from correspondence, text messages, and calls with their families and friends. The IDF understands the potential risk and in recent days has begun addressing it extensively. The military has passed instructions to commanders of forces entering Lebanon to ensure that soldiers do not enter with devices on which an eSIM has been installed. In parallel, they are examining the possibility of installing antenna systems in the border area so that soldiers can use Israeli communication infrastructure. From the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, it was stated: "The issue is known to the IDF and is being handled by commanders and relevant professional factors. The soldiers who used the SIM were instructed to delete the app. Additionally, information security procedures have been tightened."