TEL AVIV: His is “the face of evil,” the one people in Gaza and Lebanon dread seeing on a social media post — because it means another Israeli attack is incoming.

In videos posted to his 2.5 million followers, Col. Avichay Adraee appears in military fatigues, gesticulating as he delivers official statements, often using satire or pop culture references, and all in fluent Arabic.

The grim warnings also have made him something of a celebrity. In Lebanon, a lookalike delivery driver posts satirical videos and pranks unsuspecting residents, showing the fear Adraee inspires.

“Avichay Adraee is the face of evil, to me and to the people of Gaza,” said Ayman Ahmad, from Khan Younis. Few people had heard of Adraee before the war, he said, but now everyone monitors his social media accounts. “Once we see a new post from him, we know that a disaster is about to happen.”

Adraee watched Egyptian TV soap operas as a child, and studying Arabic was “love at first sight. My ability to speak and absorb Arabic is connected to my roots. My grandmother and father were very proud when they saw me on TV speaking in Arabic.”

Adraee wants his videos to go viral to get his message across.

The military’s claim to have found Hamas infrastructure under a hotel in Gaza made little impact, but Adraee’s satirical video of a Hamas leader leaving a Trip Advisor review for the tunnels was widely shared. He has sent messages to singers and Arab influencers, even exchanging messages with Hezbollah-linked Lebanese journalists.

“We want people to be exposed to the really important and serious messages,” he said.