Israeli army identifies a new enemy: Pokemon Go

App-obsessed soldiers barred from playing while on bases

JERUSALEM— The Israeli military is warning its soldiers about a new threat: the widely popular mobile phone game Pokemon Go. The army said Monday it has banned its forces from playing the game on Israeli military bases due to security concerns.

In a directive to soldiers and officers, the army warned the game activates cellphone cameras and location services, and could leak sensitive information such as army base locations and photographs of the bases.

The military is also concerned that soldiers could download a fake application that impersonates Pokemon Go but could leak information from soldiers’ phones.

Pokemon Go players roam streets and buildings holding up their mobile phones and following a digital map to catch creatures that appear on the screen.

Israeli civilians are also being warned about the perils of chasing Pikachu and other digital critters in the game.

The Israel Cancer Association has advised players not to go outdoors to catch Pokemon creatures in the middle of the day to avoid excessive sun exposure and other tips to protect oneself from the sun’s rays.

For Palestinians, Pokemon Go is a frustrating game to play, because mobile high-speed Internet services don’t exist in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Under interim peace accords, Israel controls wireless networks in the area.

Israel only recently announced that it would allow high-speed Internet access in the West Bank, though the technology has not yet gone into effect.

The Palestinians are among a few markets in the world that still use older 2G technology, according to the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency.