Five Israeli soldiers were arrested by military police for misconduct, including taking improper photos of Palestinians and drug use.
"Five soldiers of the 'Netzach Yehuda' battalion were recently arrested by the Military Police and Investigation Unit due to suspicions of improper conduct towards Palestinians during an operational activity in the Jordan Valley region," a statement sent to Xinhua said Friday.
The army found photos and video clips on the cellphones of two soldiers, depicting "behavior which completely contradicts the IDF ethical code, regulations, and commands," said the statement.
Two of the detained soldiers were also suspected of drug use.
The arrests were made after pictures of Israeli soldiers posturing with bound Palestinian prisoners made international headlines earlier this week.
A former IDF soldier, Eden Abergil, uploaded photographs to her Facebook page, showing her smiling alongside blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinians in the Gaza area in 2008.
Israeli army spokesmen harshly criticized the soldier, but said that since she was discharged from compulsory service a year ago, they cannot prevent her from publicizing the photos or enforcing disciplinary measures against her.
In support of Abergil, a new group later published more pictures showing Israeli soldiers and police officers posing with cuffed detainees and dead bodies.
An officer from the IDF spokesman's office said on Tuesday that the army top brass is concerned about the issue, "and try to find the best ways to prevent young soldiers from disseminating the material on the web."
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