D-Notice gagged MSM over SAS involvement in Israel's genocide

Author and journalist Matt Kennard has published the ‘D-Notice’ that sought to censor media coverage of SAS involvement in Gaza from the start of Israel’s genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory.

State approval before publication. Does that sound authoritarian to anyone else?

On 28 Oct 2023, Defence and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee secretary Brigadier Geoffrey Dodds sent a “private and confidential” advisory notice – a D-Notice – to editors. It said:

Reports have started to appear in some publications claiming that UK Special Forces have deployed to sensitive areas of the Middle East… May I take this opportunity to remind editors that publication of such information contravenes the DSMA notice code. I therefore advise that claims of such deployments should not be published nor broadcast without first seeking Defence and Security Media advice.

The D-Notice aimed to “prevent the inadvertent disclosure of classified information about: Special Forces and other MOD units” which could “bestow an advantage on an adversary”. And Dodds said:

Should any Editor currently be considering publishing or broadcasting information on these operations, may I ask you to seek my advice beforehand?

This followed a news report the previous day alleging SAS presence on Cyprus (where RAF Akrotiri was becoming a key asset for Western support for Israeli occupation forces) in apparent preparation for Gaza operations. No more reports came out after that regarding SAS activity in Gaza.

BREAKING: I publish here for 1st time the 'D-Notice' censorship instruction sent out to media editors by the UK military after it leaked that the SAS had deployed to Cyprus for Gaza ops in Oct 2023

There's been zero information in UK media about SAS and Gaza since it was issued pic.twitter.com/NM3d1JR9Lp

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) July 9, 2025

Declassified UK has long criticised the British media – and the BBC in particular – for failing to give the public key information about the state’s involvement in Gaza during the genocide. This includes the contribution of RAF Akrotiri, British intelligence presence in Israel, and possible UK boots (including SAS boots) on the ground in Gaza itself.

D-Notice: gagging the media to hide Britain’s role in Gaza

Some UK journalists were apparently doing their job by investigating Britain’s role further, because there were numerous requests for DSMA advice from reporters themselves. But nothing came of this.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ]) has opposed Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories, finding the occupation illegal and that accusations of Israel committing genocide in Gaza were plausible.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), meanwhile, has issued arrest warrants for top Israeli figures in relation to war crimes in Gaza.

In this context, the British public deserves to know whether our taxes have funded UK involvement in serious crimes under international law. But so far, the state’s censorship mechanisms – like this D-Notice – have prevented journalists from publishing further information.

As Kennard insists:

The ICC and ICJ must investigate

🚨 UK military’s media censorship 'D-Notice' committee had 42 different requests for advice on whether to publish information about UK Special Forces in the 18 months after it issued an instruction to media editors not to publish information about the SAS and Gaza in October 2023… pic.twitter.com/GbZtofSKkZ

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) July 9, 2025