An Israeli rights group has published photos that appear to show Israeli soldiers posing with Palestinian detainees and vandalizing homes.
Breaking the Silence released the images Monday on its page on the social networking site Facebook.
One image shows a soldier pointing his assault rifle at a blindfolded man. Another shows a soldier spray-painting the phrase "Back Soon" in Hebrew on the wall of a Palestinian home. The photos are believed to have been taken during Israel's three-week offensive in Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009.
A third photo shows a soldier posing in what appears to be a Palestinian kitchen where a women wearing a headscarf is cooking.
The Israeli military says it is unfortunate that the group published the photos online rather than bringing them directly to the army for investigation.
Breaking the Silence is an organization of Israeli veterans that seek to expose the public to military abuses of Palestinians.
Earlier this month, the Israeli military started an investigation into a video posted on the website YouTube that showed an Israeli soldier dancing suggestively around a blindfolded Palestinian woman.
The Israeli military launched a three-week offensive against Hamas in Gaza in December 2008 to stop Palestinian militants from firing rockets into Israel.
The fighting killed some 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and DPA.
