By Tommy Hodgson
Soldiers taking ‘war trophies’ is, sadly, an act as old as war itself. Helmets, guns, knives, flags and jewellery snatched from the enemy are common examples, alongside more sinister instances. But the context of acquiring trophies remains the same: they are taken as a macabre symbol of victory or domination in war.
These war crime influencers use internet culture and pre-existing social media trends to joke and devalue the plight of the Palestinians, for instance boasting about the poor conditions of their homes which the IDF has bombed to pieces.
Examples of this phenomenon range from a TikTok of IDF soldiers pretending to be real estate agents in bombed-out Gaza and having fun riding stolen bikes in the ruins they created, to DJing live and partying in the occupied area and, bizarrely, dressing up like a dinosaur to launch bombs.
There are also numerous videos of soldiers looting Palestinian civilians’ possessions, which is considered a war crime under International law. Often, Palestinians forced to flee their homes have later had to witness their possessions being shown off by Israeli soldiers on TikTok.
There are also countless incidents of soldiers disgustingly posing with Palestinian women’s lingerie. There is no shortage of the racist, classist and misogynist implications of these despicable acts, but filming and boosting them for attention – likes and internet points – also adds a sinister element of exhibitionism to the crimes.
By Tommy Hodgson