Israeli army expands its use of quadcopters to kill more Palestinian civilians
A quadcopter
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reports on 4 June 2024:
As part of its genocide that has been ongoing since 7 October 2023, Israel has been ramping up its use of small drones, or quadcopters, to drop explosive bombs and “shoot to kill” more Palestinians.
The Israeli army uses electronically controlled quadcopter drones remotely for a variety of tasks, including espionage and surveillance, issuing displacement orders, frightening civilians with loud noises, and—most dangerously—using them as a weapon to kill and injure Palestinians.
Since the start of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has increased the number of extrajudicial executions and premeditated killings of Palestinian civilians. Drones are being used for sniping and shooting operations in various parts of the Gaza Strip, and are also being used to infiltrate homes and narrow alleyways. Meanwhile, the Israeli army has continued to kill Palestinians on a massively large scale by targeting residential areas with artillery and aerial strikes.
Israel’s army has released a video documenting its use of these kinds of quadcopter aircraft to drop bombs on groups of people and houses while conducting military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli army forces deliberately targeted and executed Silah Muhammad Ahmad Odeh, 52, while she was trying to escape from the Jabalia refugee camp by raising a white flag. Odeh was killed due to direct fire from Israeli quadcopter aircraft on 21 May, in front of her family.
Her brother, Nidal, 40, told the Euro-Med Monitor team the following:
“On 20 May, at a late hour, my sister Silah suggested that we stay at our neighbours’ house on a backstreet of our Jabalia camp, which had been completely destroyed by Israeli bulldozers, and leave early the following day. Early on 21 May, we agreed on the plan. With our neighbour from the Abu Al-Tarabishfamily joining us, Silah made the decision to lead the group and carry the white flag. We counted around twelve people. As soon as we got to the main street, my sister emerged, and the quadcopter fired right at her, striking her squarely in the head. She was falling in front of us and her head was covered in blood. The artillery shells began flying in our direction as we hurried back towards the house we had left. I was the last of my brothers to return home. Upon turning around, I discovered my sister dead. Since it was difficult to get to her because she was in the middle of the main street, I went back home.