Tel Aviv, May 25 -- Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has barred the military's top legal officer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, from speaking at an upcoming legal conference, despite prior approval from the army's chief of staff. The move has drawn attention to growing tensions between Israel's political leadership and the military during the ongoing war in Gaza.

Tomer-Yerushalmi, the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) Military Advocate General, had been scheduled to speak at the Israel Bar Association's annual conference in the southern resort city of Eilat. Her participation was approved by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who emphasized the need to publicly explain how the military is operating in accordance with international...