US State Department says footage of IDF soldier standing over bound Palestinian is ‘troubling’

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel says footage of an IDF soldier standing over a stripped, bound and wounded Palestinian in Gaza is “deeply troubling.”

The short clip was uploaded to Instagram by Yosee Gamzoo, who appears to be the featured soldier. He later deleted the post as well as his Instagram account after pro-Palestinian accounts got wind of it and accused him of torturing the suspect.

Asked about the footage in a briefing, Patel says he had not seen it before.

“I have no knowledge or information as it relates to the circumstances surrounding that incident,” Patel clarifies.

“I will leave it to the IDF to speak to those specific situations, but we have been clear to them that the respect for basic human rights, that humanitarian law needs to be respected and that those who do not comply need to be held accountable,” he adds.

The IDF in response says the military ended the soldiers’s reserve service recently, and that the footage was filmed and published “contrary to the protocols and values ​​of the IDF.”

The IDF says the clip was filmed during questioning, and that the suspect was not hurt.

“After a short questioning, the detainee was released,” the IDF adds.