Israeli soldiers are posting photos and videos of themselves playing with underwear found in Palestinian homes. This was announced by the Reuters agency at a time when Israel is under international pressure due to the large humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In one video, an Israeli soldier sits in an armchair in a room in Gaza and, laughing, gun in one hand, waves white underwear over the open mouth of a comrade lying on a sofa.
Elsewhere, another soldier sits on a tank holding a female doll dressed in a black bra and helmet and says: "I found a beautiful woman, a serious relationship in Gaza, a great woman."
These two videos of Israeli soldiers are among dozens of posts in which soldiers in Gaza show off underwear, dolls and, in some cases, both. The laundry footage has been viewed tens of thousands of times after it was reposted on the X network by Younis Tirawi, posing as a Palestinian reporter.
Tiravi posted links to original posts by members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Reuters independently verified the authenticity of eight posted on Instagram or YouTube.
"The publication of such images is humiliating for Palestinian women, and for all women," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office.
Reuters says it has sent details of eight verified YouTube or Instagram posts to the IDF, seeking comment.
The spokesman said in a statement that the IDF is investigating incidents that deviate from orders and expected values of soldiers, as well as reports of videos posted on social media.
"In cases where there is a suspicion of a criminal offense that justifies the opening of an investigation, the investigation is opened by the military police," the announcement stated.
"In some of the examined cases, it was concluded that the behavior of the soldiers on the video was inappropriate, and they are acting accordingly," the announcement states.
The IDF declined to say whether it related to any of the footage highlighted by Reuters or whether any of the soldiers responsible had been punished.
Israeli soldiers identified by Reuters did not respond to requests for comment sent through their social media accounts.
The posts, which have been verified as authentic, include a photo of a soldier holding a naked doll from behind with his hands on his chest, and one of a soldier holding a half-naked doll.
YouTube said it had removed the video, which Reuters flagged as violating its harassment policy, which prohibits content that reveals someone's personal information. Instagram has not commented.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza was launched in response to an October 7 attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on the country, which killed 1.200 people. At least 32.000 Palestinians were killed in the attacks on Gaza.
The announcements come at a time when both Hamas and Israel are being accused of serious war crimes. A team of UN experts said in a report this month that there are reasonable grounds to believe that sexual violence, including rape and gang-rape, occurred at several locations during the October 7 Hamas attack.
Experts also say there is compelling information that some Israeli hostages taken to Gaza were subjected to sexual violence that may still be ongoing.
Israel is the target of accusations that it is starving the population of Gaza. The UN team of experts also stated in a recent report that it received information from institutional and civil sector sources and from direct conversations in the West Bank about sexual violence by IDF soldiers against Palestinians.
Both sides deny allegations of sexual violence.
Reuters reports that the lingerie and doll posts do not compare in severity to the alleged crimes against women reported since October 7, but two legal experts said they potentially violated international law.
Canadian law professor Ardi Imseis said the announcements violate Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War.
Article 27 states that civilians have the right to respect honor, family rights, customs and must be protected from insults and public curiosity, and that women must be especially protected from any attack on their honor.
Reuters reported that the laundry posts did not attract much attention in Israel, while, in contrast, posts showing weapons or Hamas flags found in homes in Gaza were widely circulated.
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