Israeli soldiers dress in women's clothes that they looted from homes in Gaza and Lebanon

Social media is filled with images of Israeli soldiers documenting the violations they commit, whether in Gaza or in southern Lebanon. While images of army crimes previously appeared in the form of leaks, as in the Abu Ghraib prison incident in Iraq, Israel's war is public in all its details. They commit their actions, document them, and then brag about them.

Perhaps the strangest thing that the minds of Israeli soldiers have come up with is their pride in wearing women's clothes in Gaza and Lebanon. The photos and videos reveal Israeli soldiers bragging inside the homes of Palestinian or Lebanese families after killing them or displacing their families, as the soldiers search the closets and wear housewives' clothes, and even children's clothes in some cases.

The most important question is: Why did the soldiers do this? Is it an individual phenomenon? Or is it part of the ideological structure of the army that claims to be the most moral in the world? What does international and humanitarian law say about such practices?

An analysis of these images in homes that were stormed during armed conflicts reveals complex psychological and social dimensions, indicating an aggressive style that involves mockery and humiliation. This behavior carries deep connotations related to the concept of power and control, as the occupation army aims to humiliate the displaced and occupied community and rob it of its cultural symbols and dignity, within psychological mechanisms that aim to destroy the morale of the victims.

Analyzing these images from a psychological and social perspective reveals several dimensions related to the behavior of Israeli soldiers in situations of occupation and aggression, as well as the effects of power and conflict on human behavior. A deep look at the implications of these images reveals several things:

Expression of power and control: Wearing women's clothing in homes that have been raided may be a sarcastic expression of power and control, and aims to send a message to the displaced that they have become subject to ridicule, and that their privacy and property have been seized without any respect. This behavior reflects a kind of cultural superiority and an attempt to undermine the dignity of the original owners of the place.

Humiliating the victim and dehumanizing them: In such conflicts, some soldiers may resort to behaviors aimed at humiliating and despising the victims, as part of psychological warfare. Wearing women's clothing for the victims is an attempt to demonstrate military superiority by insulting the moral and cultural aspect of the victim, such that the displaced person feels that even his clothes and privacy are no longer safe.

Stress Relief: Soldiers involved in conflicts often resort to unusual behaviors as a means of relieving the stress resulting from war and the psychological pressures associated with it. Sarcasm and humor may be used as a psychological defense mechanism to alleviate feelings of fear or guilt.

Photography for media impact: Taking and publishing such images has an intentional media impact, as soldiers, or those who publish them, seek to enhance the image of strength and disregard for the society that has been occupied in front of their audience, which can be used to create a sense of superiority and indifference to the human suffering of the victims.

Use of cultural symbolism: In Arab cultures, women’s clothing symbolizes honor and chastity, and here it is used as a tool for mockery, reflecting an attempt to manipulate and exploit cultural symbols for the sake of humiliation.

In general, this behavior shows humiliation of the victims, and reveals how armed conflict can lead to the normalization of degrading and inhumane behaviors by the occupying army, and it undoubtedly reveals a sadistic tendency devoid of any human sympathy.

Are there similar or similar practices that have occurred in other parts of the world?

Seeing images of Israeli soldiers during the aggression on Gaza and Lebanon carrying out these inhumane practices brings to mind similar images and practices related to mockery or humiliation of local populations and contempt for their cultural symbols that have appeared in several conflict zones around the world, and are considered part of the psychological warfare that aims to undermine the morale of occupied or targeted societies. Here are some examples:

1- The Iraq War (2003-2011): During the American invasion of Iraq, images appeared of American soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison torturing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners in humiliating ways, including forcing them to wear embarrassing positions or mocking them. These images were part of operations of humiliation and psychological torture aimed at breaking the morale of prisoners and Iraqi society in general, and these images have sparked widespread international condemnation.

2- Bosnian War (1992-1995): During the Bosnian War, Bosnian Muslims were subjected to genocide by Serbian forces, where villages were stormed and the population was terrorized, women were subjected to systematic attacks, and cultural symbols were used as a means of humiliation. These actions were aimed at humiliation and establishing psychological humiliation, as Muslim rituals, customs, and religious symbols were targeted as part of the ethnic cleansing process.

3- Israeli Occupation Army: In several documented cases, Israeli soldiers vandalized Palestinian homes, wrote insulting messages on walls, or defaced religious and cultural symbols of Palestinian society. These actions usually included behaviors that challenged the sanctity of Palestinian homes and private property and aimed to break their morale and demonstrate the control of the soldiers.

4- South Africa (Apartheid System): During the apartheid system, similar means of psychological humiliation were used, as soldiers or police treated black residents in demonstrative ways aimed at humiliating them and stripping them of their dignity, including destroying their homes or entering them without permission. The aim was to instill a sense of helplessness and inferiority in the black population.

5- The Algerian War (1954-1962): During the French occupation of Algeria, many Algerians were subjected to systematic humiliation and repression, including raiding their homes and mocking their traditions. French forces destroyed villages and despised Algerian cultural and religious symbols as part of a policy of psychological pressure and breaking the will to resist.

In all of these cases, mocking local culture or symbols was a means of strengthening psychological control and instilling a sense of defeat in the targeted population, which shows the extent to which conflicts can turn to levels of cruelty and psychological violence, unlike direct military confrontations.

Is this behavior of the Israeli soldiers considered in violation of international law and humanitarian norms?

A review of the relevant legal materials, certainly, the behavior of the Israeli soldiers as shown in the pictures is considered in violation of international law and humanitarian norms in several respects. There are international laws and standards that regulate the behavior of military forces during armed conflicts, and aim to protect the rights of civilians and preserve their dignity. Among these laws are:

Geneva Conventions (1949): The Geneva Conventions, especially the First Protocol attached thereto, stipulate the protection of civilians from any violations of their dignity, including insults, ridicule, and degrading treatment. Any act that includes harming civilians or their property or violating their privacy is a violation of these conventions. Article 27 of the Fourth Convention in particular requires "respect for the honor and rights of the family" and prohibits any act that is considered degrading to civilians, such as tampering with their property or insulting their cultural symbols.

International Human Rights Law: International human rights law emphasizes the protection of human dignity, and any act that degrades or offends a person or society is considered an attack on their dignity and a violation of their rights. Acts that involve mockery of the clothing or personal belongings of victims are considered an expression of an attack on personal dignity.

Humanitarian and moral norms: Targeting and mocking private property, especially symbolic clothing of women or cultural symbols, is considered immoral and violates humanitarian norms that call for respect for the dignity of people, even in the context of war. International Criminal Court: In some cases, such acts may be considered war crimes if they are part of a systematic policy or conduct to humiliate or forcibly displace civilians. The International Criminal Court considers insults and outrages on dignity, whether physical or psychological, to be among the acts that can be considered war crimes according to Article 8 of its Statute.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): The ICRC defines such practices as a breach of military ethics, which obliges members of armed forces to respect the dignity of civilians and not to engage in degrading or inhumane conduct.

In general, it can be said that the actions of Israeli soldiers, which involve mocking the clothing and private property of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, are considered contrary to international law and humanitarian norms, and can be considered a violation of human dignity and the rights of civilians in the context of armed conflicts.