Diplomatic Crisis Between Seoul and Tel Aviv Following Korean President's Condemnation of Mutilation of Palestinian Bodies

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has once again highlighted the violations committed by the Israeli occupation army in the occupied Palestinian territories by publishing a video documenting a brutal assault on a Palestinian body in the West Bank. The Korean President demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident and information on the legal actions taken against the soldiers involved in this act, which violates international norms.

The details of the incident date back to September 2024, when occupation forces surrounded a house in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin. The military operation at the time resulted in the martyrdom of several young Palestinians after they were heavily fired upon inside the besieged building.

The videos, re-shared by the Korean President, documented harsh moments showing occupation soldiers dragging and mutilating the bodies of the martyrs before throwing them from the rooftop of the house. These scenes sparked a massive wave of local and international condemnation when they first spread, due to their blatant violation of the dignity of the deceased.

On the 'X' platform, Lee Jae-myung stressed that war crimes cannot be separated from major historical crimes condemned by the world. The Korean President compared the occupation's practices to forced slavery and massacres suffered by Jews, in a clear reference to the Holocaust and the crimes of the Japanese occupation of Korea.

In his clarification of the incident, Lee noted that the White House had previously described the incident as 'deeply disturbing.' He also pointed out that the occupation authorities had announced their intention to investigate the incident, which led him to question the actual results of those alleged investigations.

In his posts, the Korean President emphasized the need for strict adherence to international humanitarian law and the preservation of human dignity under all circumstances. He considered human rights to be the last bastion and supreme value that cannot be bartered or compromised, regardless of military justifications.

For its part, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharply responded to the Korean President's statements, accusing him of spreading 'misinformation.' Israeli sources claimed that the video was re-circulated out of its temporal context, alleging that the incident occurred during a complex military operation in which soldiers faced direct threats.

Tel Aviv claimed that the incident had undergone a comprehensive investigation and disciplinary actions were taken regarding it two years ago, attacking the Korean President for relying on what it described as 'fake accounts.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry also criticized Lee for ignoring attacks targeting Israel by other regional parties.

Seoul's official response was not delayed, as the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its regret for what it described as Israel's 'misunderstanding' of the President's statements. The ministry clarified that Lee Jae-myung's words were an expression of his deeply held personal convictions regarding universal human rights.

In its official statement, the Korean government affirmed its firm stance rejecting all forms of violence and anti-humanitarian acts. It stressed that respect for international humanitarian law must be a general principle applied without exception in all conflict zones around the world.

This diplomatic crisis comes at a time when the West Bank is witnessing an unprecedented escalation by occupation forces since the start of the genocide war on the Gaza Strip. Field reports indicate that more than 1,147 Palestinians have been martyred and thousands injured in West Bank cities and refugee camps in recent months.

The systematic occupation policies continue in the West Bank, including killing, mutilation, demolition of structures, and expansion of illegal settlements. The United Nations considers these practices a blatant violation of Palestinian rights in territories that international legitimacy recognizes as occupied territories.

War crimes are no different from the issues we strongly criticize, such as forced slavery and massacres committed against Jews.