Major Ella Waoya, known in the Arab world as "Captain Ella," is expected to replace the IDF spokesman in Arabic, Col. Avichai Edrei - who is retiring from the IDF after 20 years of service.
Publicity activist Yosef Haddad wrote on his X-network account: "She is not worthy of replacing Avichai Edrei as the IDF spokesperson in Arabic. Captain Ella - a Muslim officer, deputy IDF spokesperson, a powerful, fighting and patriotic woman who does crazy work for the country in the Arab world. I hope she makes history and accepts this role.".
Waiya grew up in Qalanswa, and at the age of about 22 she decided to enlist in national service, which she performed at the Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba. Two years later she decided to enlist in the IDF, and served as a new media noncommissioned officer in the Arabic communications section of the IDF Spokesperson's Office.
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In July, in an interview at the Security and Service Conference of Ynet, Yedioth Ahronoth and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), she said: "The media arena is a battlefield. It's a war that is no less difficult than in other places.".
Hadar Golden returned home after 11 years.
A name engraved in our hearts - an officer, a fighter, from the best of the people of the country.
A single people... has not given up, has not forgotten, and will not stop returning its children to the homeland.
May God have mercy on him and make his memory blessed. pic.twitter.com/A1TqVAVzKw— Captain Ella Captain Ella (@CaptainElla1) November 11, 2025
''Captain Ella' in action
She spoke about the various media in which she is involved: "On TikTok, it's more the arena of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and on Instagram it's mixed - both from the West, both from Israel, and from Arab society in general, including Lebanese. The target audience is the Arab audience in the Middle East.".
