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Mocking posts by Israeli soldiers going viral

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Some experts say posts may breach international law

By Estelle Shirbon and Pola Grzanka

March 28 (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers have been posting

photos and videos of themselves toying with lingerie found in

Palestinian homes, creating a dissonant visual record of the war

in Gaza as a looming famine intensifies world scrutiny of

Israel's offensive.

In one video, an Israeli soldier sits in an armchair in a

room in Gaza grinning, with a gun in one hand and dangling white

satin underwear from the other over the open mouth of a comrade

lying on a sofa.

Elsewhere, another soldier sits atop a tank holding a female

mannequin dressed in a black bra and helmet and says: "I found a

beautiful wife, serious relationship in Gaza, great woman."

The two videos shot by Israeli soldiers are among dozens of

posts in which troops in Gaza are shown displaying lingerie,

mannequins, and in some cases both. The lingerie images have

been viewed tens of thousands of times - nearly half a million

in one case - after being reposted by Younis Tirawi, who

describes himself as a Palestinian reporter.

Approached about images he reposted to his more than 100,000

followers on X between Feb. 23 and March 1, Tirawi provided

links to the original posts by IDF soldiers. Reuters then

independently verified eight posted on Instagram or YouTube.

"The posting of such images is demeaning to Palestinian

women, and all women," said Ravina Shamdasani, U.N. Human Rights

Office spokesperson.

Reuters sent details of the eight verified posts on YouTube

or Instagram to the Israel Defense Forces, requesting comment.

In response, a spokesperson sent a statement saying the IDF

investigates incidents that deviate from the orders and expected

values of IDF soldiers, as well as reports of videos uploaded to

social networks.

"In cases where suspicion of a criminal offense arises that

justifies opening an investigation, an investigation is opened

by the Military Police," it said.

"It should be clarified that in some of the examined cases,

it is concluded that the expression or behaviour of the soldiers

in the video is inappropriate, and it is handled accordingly,"

the statement said.

The IDF declined to say whether it was referring to any of

the images highlighted by Reuters, or whether any of the

soldiers responsible have been disciplined.

The Israeli soldiers whom Reuters was able to identify did

not respond to requests for comment sent via their social media

accounts.

MANNEQUINS AND UNDERWEAR

The authenticated posts include a photo of a soldier holding

a bare female mannequin from behind with his hands on its

breasts and one of a soldier handling a half-naked doll.

One photo shows a soldier posing with his gun, making a

thumbs-up gesture, in front of a double bed strewn with packets

of women's underwear.

YouTube said it had removed a video flagged by Reuters for

violating the platform's harassment policies, which prohibit

content that reveals someone's personally identifiable

information. Instagram did not comment.

Israel's military campaign in Gaza was launched in response

to an attack on Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on

Oct. 7 in which militants killed about 1,200 people and took 253

hostage, according to Israel.

The posts come at a time when Hamas and Israel are both

being accused of grave war crimes. A team of U.N. experts said

this month in a report that there were reasonable grounds to

believe sexual violence, including rapes and gang rapes,

occurred at several locations during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

The experts also said there was convincing information that

some Israeli hostages taken to Gaza had been subjected to sexual

violence which may still be ongoing.

Israel stands accused of pushing Gaza towards famine. The

team of U.N. experts also said in its recent report that it had

received information from institutional and civil society

sources and direct interviews in the West Bank about sexual

violence against Palestinians by the IDF.

Both sides reject accusations of sexual violence.

The lingerie and mannequin posts do not compare in gravity

to the alleged crimes against women reported since Oct. 7.

Still, two legal experts said they potentially breached

international law.

Ardi Imseis, an assistant professor of law at Queen's

University in Canada, said the posts violated article 27 of the

Fourth Geneva Convention, which governs the treatment of

civilians in wartime.

Article 27 says civilians are entitled to respect for their

honour, family rights, manners and customs, and must be

protected against insults and public curiosity, and that women

must be especially protected against any attack on their honour.

Within Israel, the lingerie posts have attracted little

attention, said Oren Persico of the Seventh Eye, a website

covering Israeli media. By contrast, he said, posts showing

weapons or Hamas flags said to have been found in Gazan homes

have been circulating widely.

(Additional reporting by Maria Paula Laguna, Maayan Lubell,

Emily Rose, Maytaal Angel and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Writing

by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by David Clarke)