Israeli who fought in Gaza barred from entering Czech Republic

The Czech government has barred an Israeli reservist from entering the country after the French authorities issued a "criminal alert" against him, Israeli media reported.

According to Ynet, the unnamed reservist who fought in Gaza and Lebanon was detained for "hours" at Prague's Vaclav Havel airport before he was told he was being refused entry into the country.

Authorities explained the refusal was based on a Schengen area-wide warning against him issued by France, blocking his entry into all European countries.

According to the report, the Israeli man and his wife were approached by four armed police at passport control who informed him he was not permitted to enter the country.

Czech officials subsequently explained that the French authorities were accusing him of involvement in "serious crimes", and that the ban could only be lifted by France.

“They said maybe it’s because of my reserve service, or that someone stole my identity and used it to commit crimes,” the man told Ynet. “I’ve never even been to France.”

The couple attempted to contact the Israeli embassy in Paris, but were then forced to return to Israel.

The Israeli foreign ministry said that the reason for the refusal was unclear, but that it was not due to the man's military service.

In December 2024, two Israeli soldiers were unable to travel to Australia after being asked to complete an extensive 13-page form, typically required for military personnel involved in war.

In January, an Israeli solider accused of war crimes fled Brazil amid an an investigation into his actions in Gaza, while New Zealand introduced a new immigration policy requiring Israeli visa applicants to disclose details about their military service.

That month, Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 reported that the Israeli army had announced new measures to conceal the identities of soldiers of all ranks, amid arrest warrants and investigations of suspected war crimes in Gaza.