Israeli soldiers filmed throwing Palestinian bodies from rooftop

 Military launches probe after troops throw lifeless Palestinians from edge of building during raid in West Bank town

Israeli army soldiers take position in the balcony of an occupied building while surrounding another during an army assault in Qabatiyah south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank on September 19, 2024 (AFP)

By MEE staff

Published date: 19 September 2024 23:32 BST | Last update: 17 hours 50 mins ago

Israel's military has launched an investigation after shocking videos emerged showing Israeli soldiers throwing what appeared to be the bodies of Palestinian men from a rooftop in Qabatiya, north of the occupied West Bank, on Thursday.

Palestinians shared several angles of the footage on social media, which showed Israeli troops pushing lifeless individuals from the roof of a house that morning, following a raid in the town near Jenin.

The videos capture three Israeli soldiers climbing onto the roof, holding the bodies, and throwing them one by one from the top. In one clip, a soldier is seen kicking one of the bodies until it falls over the edge.

Under international law, armed forces are required to treat enemy bodies with respect, prevent them from mutilation and return them to their families. Israel has frequently held the bodies of slain Palestinians. 

In a post on X, the Palestinian foreign ministry said the videos showed "the brutality of the occupation army", which it said disproved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims about its "ethics". 

Hamas, which is battling Israel in Gaza, said the footage confirmed "the barbarity and brutality" of Israeli forces, which have been "committing massacres and genocide against our people in Gaza for a year amid international silence and American political and military cover". 

"This is a serious incident that is not in line with [Israeli army] values and what is expected of [Israeli army] soldiers," the Israeli military said in a statement. "The incident is under review." 

Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli army launched a wide-scale military operation in Qabatiya, which lasted nearly 10 hours.

Israeli forces besieged a house and killed three Palestinians inside, blocking Palestinian Red Crescent Society teams from reaching the house.

Elsewhere during the attack, Israeli forces bombed a vehicle near a commercial complex in the town, setting it ablaze and killing two people, Wafa news agency reported.

In total, at least seven Palestinians were killed in the offensive throughout the day.

The Qabatiya municipality identified the seven killed as Mohammad Abu Rob, Omar Hamza Abu Rob, Ahmad Zakarneh, Mustafa Zakarneh, Fadi Hanaysheh, Mohammad Kmeil, and Shadi Sami Zakarneh. 

During the raid, Israeli troops, flanked by military bulldozers, surrounded and opened fire near Izzat Abu al-Rab School and Qabatiya School, leaving over 1,200 students and staff barricaded inside.

Dozens of students suffered from gas inhalation after Israeli soldiers fired tear gas near one of the schools.

Around 700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Israel's war on Gaza began in October, according to the Palestinian health ministry. That figure includes more than 150 children. 

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