Israeli soldiers play with Gaza women's underwear in online posts
STORY: Toying with lingerie found in Gazan homes, holding a female mannequin atop a tank…
“Guys, thank you hashem, I found a beautiful wife”
Israeli soldiers in Gaza have been posting photos and videos of themselves playing with lingerie, bare mannequins – and in some cases both.
The images have been viewed tens of thousands of times on social media.
Reuters examined posts made by IDF soldiers and was able to independently verify eight posted on Instagram or YouTube.
Human rights experts say the posting of such images is demeaning to Palestinian women.
The mocking posts are a jarring visual record of the war in Gaza at a time when a looming famine and destruction are intensifying world scrutiny of Israel's offensive.
Reuters sent details of the verified posts to the Israeli Defense Forces.
In response, a spokesperson said the IDF investigates incidents that deviate from the orders and expected values of their soldiers.
The IDF didn’t specify whether it was referring to any of the images highlighted by Reuters, or whether anyone was disciplined.
The Israeli soldiers identified by Reuters did not respond to requests for comment.
Dror Sadot is the spokesperson for B’Tselem, an Israeli group that monitors human rights among Palestinians.
"At the end of the day it sinks down to the soldiers on the ground so, you know, I'm repulsed by what I'm seeing but I'm repulsed by the policy, and about what's going on in Gaza in general, and I think it does, it connects."
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas on October 7.
Israel says the Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people and took 253 hostage.
Both Hamas and Israel are being accused of war crimes.
In a recent report, U.N. experts said there were reasonable grounds to believe sexual violence, including rapes, occurred during the October 7 attack by Hamas.
(Pramila Patten, U.N. Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict)
“With regard to the hostages taken to Gaza, we found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against captives."
The U.N. also received information about sexual violence against Palestinians by the IDF in the West Bank.
Both sides reject the accusations.
The lingerie and mannequin posts do not compare in gravity to the alleged war crimes against women.
But some legal experts say they still potentially breach Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the treatment and rights of civilians - particularly women - in wartime.
