Amid the war ruins of Gaza, an Israeli soldier unfurls a rainbow flag in support of the LGBTQ community, reigniting a debate around "pinkwashing" as activists accuse Israel of deploying its liberal image as a tool against Hamas.
Israel has the most liberal legal approach to homosexuality in the Middle East, in marked contrast to the Palestinian territories, including the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, where it remains a taboo.
Two images showing the soldier in Gaza appear to have been first posted online by screenwriter Lee Kern, who said on X, formerly Twitter, that they showed "the first ever pride flag raised in Gaza".
The emblems were taken there by gay Israeli soldier Yoav Atzmoni, he said, quoting him as saying Israel's army was the only one in the region "that allows gay people the freedom to be who we are. And so I fully believe in the righteousness of our cause."
