Palestinians are using the Pokemon Go game, which has gone viral, to highlight their plight in the face of Israel’s continuing occupation, News.com.au reported.

The game, which is banned in some countries and is said to breach national security in others, has gone viral though it has not officially been released in the Middle East.

Using the smartphone app, Palestinians are highlighting life under military occupation. One user tweeted an image of Pikachu lying among rubble in a site that was destroyed by Israeli shells in 2014 with the health status of the creature describing it as “Dead”.

Pokemon Go: Players in Palestine use social media to comment on West Bank https://t.co/VMkQqyCtx2

— Know 888 (@Zanukah) July 18, 2016

Another image making the rounds features a rare Charizard out of reach for the user — because it’s over a wall that separates Israeli territory from the West Bank.

Facebook user, Abd Elrahman Salayma, from Hebron in the West Bank, joked in a status: “There is a pokémon down the street in the settlement… how the hell am i going to catch it?”

When someone advised him to “Keep on running until you catch ‘em all”, he responded: “I’m afraid to be shot if I ran toward the settlement”.

Playing Pokemon Go in Palestine: https://t.co/UcOiBmfAop Apartheid Error!

— Network Politics (@networkpolitics) July 17, 2016

Another Twitter user commented that Israel does not need the game as it already “hunts Palestinians for fun”.

Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, has reported that the Israeli Defense Force has issued a warning to soldiers who use the game, telling them not to use it on military bases, as it is a “source for gathering information”.

There is a fear in doing this as soldiers may reveal sensitive information about military operations.

In Saudi, three men were arrested after playing Pokemon Go at the airport. The men, in their 20s, are being investigated for taking pictures in a restricted area.

(PC, MEMO, News.com.au)