(AP) — A German-Israeli soldier has taken legal action against The Guardian and several German publications for falsely identifying him as an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) sniper involved in civilian killings in Gaza.

The soldier, referred to as G., was wrongly named and pictured in reports stemming from a 2025 article that described the actions of a sniper team. G.’s lawyer, Joachim Nikolaus Steinhoefel, said G. was not present during the incidents and that the articles were based on a misleadingly edited interview.

After signing a cease-and-desist with The Guardian, G. also sought an injunction in German courts to prevent further publication of false claims about him. German outlets Der Spiegel, ZDF, and Abendzeitung had already circulated his identity widely, leading to social media threats and accusations of war crimes.

“The evidence used to accuse him was unreliable and manipulated,” Steinhoefel told The Jerusalem Post. “Publishing his name and photo exposed him to almost irreversible danger.” The court has issued an interim injunction against Abendzeitung to stop further defamatory reporting.