Jerusalem:Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been ordered by Israel's Central Elections Committee chairman to take down social media videos that improperly utilized military and public resources. The directive, reported by Israeli daily Haaretz, came on Sunday following Justice Noam Sohlberg's decision on the matter.

According to Anadolu Agency, Justice Sohlberg ruled that the videos amounted to election campaigning. He upheld five out of six petitions filed against Netanyahu concerning his recent social media activities. One of the videos in question depicted Netanyahu visiting an Israeli military outpost in southern Lebanon, and was criticized for primarily showcasing the government's achievements while omitting morale-boosting and soldier-honoring footage.

Justice Sohlberg described the video as a campaign advertisement and mandated its removal from Netanyahu's social media platforms. Additionally, Netanyahu is required to pay 29,000 shekels ($9,500) in legal fees to the petitioners.

This ruling follows a previous decision against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir last week. Ben-Gvir faced a similar order to remove a video where he was seen confronting Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh. The petition against Ben-Gvir's video contended that filming inside a prison violated the prohibition against using public property for election purposes. Justice Sohlberg found that Ben-Gvir's video served as election propaganda rather than deterrence.

Israel is set to hold general elections on October 27, with Netanyahu's Likud party and its coalition partners locked in a tight race against opposition parties. Current polls suggest neither side is likely to secure the 61 seats necessary for a parliamentary majority. Netanyahu, who has led the government since late December 2022, is facing corruption charges and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.