Israel in row with South Korean leader over Palestinian abuse concerns

Israel has criticised South Korea’s president for sharing video of violence against Palestinians by the Israeli army. That’s after Lee Jae Myung raised concerns about documented abuses committed by Israeli forces. Lee provoked Israeli anger on Friday by sharing video showing Israeli soldiers abusing Palestinians.

Forced comfort women, Jewish massacres, and wartime killings are no different. I need to look into whether this is true, and if so, what measures have been taken,” the president posted on X. The video, verified by Al Jazeera, shows Israeli soldiers pushing an apparently lifeless Palestinian man from a rooftop in the occupied West Bank town of Qabatiya in September 2024.

One soldier appears to kick a body before it falls. Three Palestinians were thrown from the roof that day, sparking widespread outrage. The Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs said it was a “crime” that exposes the Israeli army’s “brutality”.

Under international law, armed forces must treat the dead with dignity. Israel’s foreign ministry responded by saying the case had been “investigated and addressed”, without providing details or indicating whether any soldiers faced punishment. Israeli forces rarely face accountability for abuses against Palestinians.

Data from Action on Armed Violence shows that Israel has closed 88 per cent of investigations into abuses by its forces in Gaza and the occupied West Bank without charges or findings of wrongdoing. Lee’s sharing of the video triggered a public row with Israel’s foreign ministry, criticising the president directly. South Korea’s foreign ministry attempted to ease tensions, saying Lee’s comments reflected a broader appeal for “universal human rights rather than an opinion on any specific issue”.

Lee doubled down on Saturday, responding to Israel’s criticism with a pointed reply.