Israeli soldiers’ Gaza destruction celebration video draws social media condemnation
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Another video purportedly uploaded by Israeli soldiers, celebrating the destruction of Gaza with a mocking song playing in the background, drew widespread condemnation on social media.
The latest footage, widely shared on various social media platforms, depicts scenes of flames, fire, and collapsed buildings in Gaza, accompanied by lyrics containing haunting phrases. Users condemned the soldiers' actions as "inhuman" and "cowardly," while others called for international intervention to address the situation.
According to Younis Tirawi, an independent journalist covering politics and security in the Palestinian territories, these videos were uploaded directly by Israeli soldiers seeking public attention. Reports suggest that front-line troops use their personal social media accounts to share such content, seeking to garner attention through controversial and insensitive posts.
One Israeli publication, N12, reported earlier this month that soldiers record and share videos such as "May your village burn" or "Sex on the beach of Gaza" from their TikTok accounts. Such behaviour, described as causing "enormous damage in the propaganda arena abroad," has sparked widespread condemnation and anger among millions of users online.
This is not the first time Israeli soldiers have been implicated in such controversial videos. In January, an IDF soldier posted a video on TikTok showing burning houses in the Al-Boreij refugee camp in Gaza, accompanied by a remix of a racist fan song associated with Beitar Jerusalem football club. Similarly, another video surfaced showing soldiers making jokes about having sex on the beach of Gaza, while Palestinian detainees were blindfolded in Jenin, resulting in their suspension.
Most recently, Israeli Sgt. Noam Amar posted a video mocking Palestinians being expelled from Rafah, using a children's song as background music. In response to these incidents, a spokesperson for the Israeli army condemned the soldiers' behaviour, stating that it "stands in stark contrast to the values of the IDF." They reassured that the army is actively identifying and addressing such cases, with significant command measures to be taken against the soldiers involved.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the potential violation of international law by Israeli soldiers. A BBC investigation in February found that videos of Gazan detainees stripped, bound, and blindfolded, filmed and uploaded by Israeli soldiers, could potentially constitute breaches of international law.
As calls for accountability grow louder, many are demanding thorough investigations into these incidents and appropriate actions against the perpetrators. The exploitation of social media platforms to ridicule and undermine the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza has ignited a fresh wave of condemnation, highlighting the urgent need for greater awareness and accountability in conflict zones.
