Picture of sniper-targeted Palestinian child triggers probe
Israeli army launches an investigation after a soldier allegedly posted a picture on Instagram of a Palestinian child's head in the cross hairs of his sniper rifle
The Israeli army says it has launched an investigation after a soldier allegedly posted a picture on Instagram of a Palestinian child's head in the cross hairs of his sniper rifle.
The picture, which went viral on the Facebook-owned picture-sharing website before it was removed, shows a child sitting with his back to the sniper's telescope, with its cross hairs on the left side of his head.
The gun is pointing out of a window in the direction of what appears to be a Palestinian neighbourhood or village.
Ten years have passed … but the sensation of exaggerated power and callous disregard of human life and dignity remain
Israeli media said the image was uploaded by 20-year-old sniper Mor Ostrovski to Instagram last week, and it caused an uproar after it spread throughout social media networks.
The military said the picture did not "coincide" with values or its code of ethics.
Security sources say the soldier denies he took the picture.
Breaking the Silence, a group that documents Israeli army abuse against Palestinians, published the latest image on its Facebook page alongside a similar picture from 2003.
"Ten years have passed … [but] the sensation of exaggerated power and callous disregard of human life and dignity remain," the group said.
