The recent images of men detained and stripped down in Gaza were "deeply disturbing," US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said Monday.
Asked by CNN about the photos, Miller reiterated that the US is seeking more information from the Israeli government.
The United States is seeking answers about the status of the individuals in the photos, the circumstances around the images, and "how ultimately they became public," he said.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), claimed to CNN last week that the men were members or suspected members of Hamas, "without clothes in order to make sure they’re not carrying explosives.”
However, in an interview with CNN on Friday, Hani Almadhoun, director of philanthropy for the US arm of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA USA) said he knew a dozen people pictured in circulating images, including his brother — all of whom were civilians.
More background: The photos circulating on social media last Thursday showed a mass detention by the Israeli military of men who were made to strip to their underwear, kneel on the street, wear blindfolds, and pack into the cargo bed of a military vehicle.
The exact circumstances and dates of the detentions are unclear, but some of the detainees’ identities were confirmed by colleagues or family members.
CNN's Abeer Salman contributed to this report.