An Israeli Instagram page has sparked anger on social media after it shared an image of a soldier using a detained, blindfolded Palestinian father to advertise its jewellery business.
The Instagram page, named ‘Shilo_Jewelry’, published on Friday the image of a Palestinian man, with his hands tied and crouched down on a sofa. In his hands is a piece of paper on which the soldier appears to have written the business’s social media handle.
"This shocking photo shows an Israeli soldier marketing his jewelry business by using a Palestinian father who was arrested by the Israeli army from his home last night during a West Bank raid. This is what the Israeli occupation in the West Bank looks like," Palestinian activist Ihab Hassan wrote.
"Zionists have no moral limits. A soldier uses a kidnapped Palestinian as a human billboard for his business, who will likely be sentenced to death in the Israeli military judicial system," another social media user wrote.
Israeli news site The Times of Israel confirmed that it was an Israeli army reserve soldier who raided the West Bank and blindfolded the Palestinian man, before making him hold the sign to promote the brand.
The report states that following international backlash, the Israeli army said it viewed the incident "gravely" and that the soldier was suspended from reserve duty. The terrorist Shilo is marketing his jewelry business by using a Palestinian father who they kidnapped from his home last night during a West Bank raid.
This was his story of 'Chag Sameach' for Passover to friends and family. pic.twitter.com/BfySL0pGMF — Israel Genocide Tracker (@trackingisrael) April 2, 2026 The Instagram page 'Shilo_Jewelry', which has fewer than 200 followers, is currently set to private.
An Israeli jewellery brand page on Instagram with a similar name, ‘shilo_jewelry_boutique’, issued a statement on the platform distancing itself from the incident.
"We are aware of false information currently being circulated online involving our brand. We want to make it absolutely clear: Shilo Jewellery Boutique has no connection whatsoever to the image, the individual shown, or the events described".
"This is a case of mistaken identity…as a brand, we are solely focused on jewelry design and serving our customers, and we do not engage in political matters".
The statement goes on to threaten legal action against anyone sharing "false or defamatory" information about the brand. While it is not clear if this is the exact brand that was being promoted by the soldier, scores of social media users lambasted the statement.
"[Calling it a] ‘Political matter’ told me everything I need to know," one social media user wrote.
The incident is the latest involving Israeli soldiers using Palestinians and their destroyed homes or stolen property as content for social media. Since the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli soldiers have shared degrading and dehumanising images of abducted Palestinians, footage of the army ransacking the property of displaced Palestinians, and soldiers rifling through the underwear drawers of displaced Palestinian women, and at times wearing the items.
Amid international outrage over the images and footage shared by the soldiers, Israel's army in 2025 placed restrictions on social media use for soldiers for fear of prosecution.
According to Amnesty International, Israel has routinely carried out physical violence, including sexual assault and rape, against Palestinian detainees.
Since the start of the war, there has also been a surge in settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Last month, settlers launched a violent rampage against Palestinian villages and towns, attacking farmers and vandalising buildings. During the attack, settlers unleashed dogs on the villagers' livestock, injuring several animals.