The Israeli army (IDF) has appointed Major Ella Waweya as its new Arabic-language spokesperson. She will be the first Muslim spokesperson of the Israeli army. Major Ella Waweya will be seen presenting the Israeli military’s position in Arabic across various platforms.
The Israeli army announced on Tuesday the appointment of Major Ella Waweya as the new Arabic-language spokesperson for the IDF. She had been serving as deputy spokesperson in the Israeli army’s Arabic media division.
According to the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post, Major Ella Waweya will replace Colonel Avichay Adraee, who represented the Israeli army in Arabic for nearly 20 years.
Thirty-six-year-old Aylah is an Arab Muslim who was born in the Israeli city of Qalansuwa, located near Tel Aviv, where a large Arab Muslim population resides.
She has been associated with the IDF’s information unit since 2013 and in recent years had been heading the Arabic media desk.
Major Ella Waweya @CaptainElla1 has been appointed the new Arabic-language IDF spokesperson.
She will replace Avichay Adraee and will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. pic.twitter.com/t9EyAqtmTk
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) February 3, 2026
Major Ella Waweya is well known on social media by the name “Captain Aylah.” She creates videos in Hebrew and Arabic on various social platforms to communicate directly with Middle Eastern audiences. Across TikTok and Instagram, she has a combined following of nearly 500,000.
According to Israeli media, Ella Waweya began working at a hospital in the city of Kfar Saba at the age of 22. Two years later, she joined the Israeli army, although she reportedly kept this decision hidden from her family for some time.
After joining the military, she completed basic training and began serving as a non-commissioned officer in the IDF’s information unit, where she worked on the Arabic desk. Two years later, she was promoted to the rank of officer. In 2015, she also received the “Outstanding Soldier” award from the President of Israel.
