Israel claims to investigate widely shared photo of blindfolded Palestinian man tied to bed

An image showing a blindfolded Palestinian man stripped to his underwear and restrained on a folding bed has circulated widely on social media in recent days, prompting the Israeli army to confirm the incident and claim it is conducting a command-level investigation Thursday.

The image shows the man lying face down on what appears to be a folding military cot, with his hands bound behind his back with zip ties and a pole fastened to his back. The photograph was overlaid with the Hebrew words, "Good morning."

After initially saying it was unfamiliar with the incident, the Israeli army confirmed Thursday that the image was authentic and had been taken in the Gaza Strip.

"Following a thorough investigation, the incident in question has been identified," the army said in a statement. "A command-level inquiry is being conducted, and those involved will be dealt with in accordance with its findings."

The army did not identify the soldiers involved or disclose when the incident occurred.

The photograph was widely shared after Palestinian writer Tamer Qaddoumi posted it on X, saying that the detainee had been apprehended by soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the Kfir Brigade during operations in northern Gaza. Qaddoumi said he had been unable to identify the man. The Israeli army has not confirmed which unit was involved.

The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is an all-male ultra-Orthodox infantry battalion within the Kfir Brigade. It was established to allow Haredi Jewish men to serve in combat while adhering to Jewish religious law, but has repeatedly faced allegations of abuses against Palestinians over the past decade.

Human rights organization Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) has accused the battalion of committing serious violations against Palestinians, including unlawful killings, torture, physical assault and sexual violence. The Israeli army has previously investigated some allegations involving the unit while rejecting others, with no concrete results or accountability for the most part.

The image surfaced weeks after a U.N. Commission of Inquiry accused the Israeli army of committing serious violations against Palestinian children during the war in Gaza.

In May, Israeli authorities said they will take The New York Times to court over a piece it published denouncing widespread sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Released detainees and rights groups have routinely reported severe physical abuse, starvation, psychological torture, sexual violence, and denial of medical care.

Additionally, an in-depth investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists highlighted the accounts of nearly 60 Palestinian journalists who were detained without charge. Nearly all reported enduring severe abuse, broken bones, and degrading treatment while imprisoned.

In May, humanitarian activists and journalists on the Global Sumud aid flotilla released testimonies of severe mistreatment after Israeli forces intercepted their ships in international waters. Detainees reported beatings, sexual violence, and psychological torture during their imprisonment.