Israeli soldiers were filmed pushing three apparently lifeless bodies from a building rooftop during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. This incident is part of a series of suspected violations by IDF forces since the Israeli-Hamas war began, which rights groups say indicate a pattern of excessive force against Palestinians.
The event occurred in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya, where the Israeli army has conducted large-scale raids since late August. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, these military operations have caused the loss of dozens of civilians’ lives.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces declared in a statement: “This is a serious incident that does not coincide with the values of the IDF and the expectations of IDF soldiers. The incident is under review”. The IDF then declined to comment when questioned whether the soldiers involved were being investigated.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that one of its journalists witnessed the incident, but still, the agency was unable to confirm the identities or locations of the bodies, nor the death toll from the Israeli raid.
Israel announced that its forces killed seven militants on Thursday, specifically four in a gun battle and three in an airstrike on a car that had opened fire on soldiers. As of Friday, no militant group had claimed any of the deceased as members.
In one footage obtained by the AP, three Israeli soldiers are seen picking up what appears to be a lifeless human body and dragging it to the edge of a rooftop, where they then toss it. On a nearby rooftop, soldiers swing another apparently lifeless body over the edge by its limbs, while a soldier kicks a body toward the edge before it falls out of sight.
Usually, the army abandons Palestinians killed during raids, although it sometimes carries them back to Israel.
According to international law, soldiers are required to treat all bodies, including those of enemy combatants, with dignity and respect.
Shawan Jabarin, director of the Palestinian rights group Al-Haq, criticized the actions shown in the footage, stating, “There is no military need to do this. It’s just a savage way of treating Palestinian bodies.” He expressed that while the video was shocking, it was not surprising, and he doubted Israel would conduct a thorough investigation.
Even U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declared: “We have seen the video and found it deeply disturbing. If it proves authentic, it clearly portrays abhorrent and egregious behavior by professional soldiers.”
As a result, geopolitical tensions remain extremely sensitive and delicate, in fact, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Simultaneously, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has also intensified, further discouraging any possibilities of negotiations.
