Tariq Kenney-Shawa, Al-Shabaka’s U.S. policy fellow, said: “This is among the worst footage I’ve seen. Not only were these boys clearly unarmed and present no threat whatsoever, but they were struck multiple times even after stumbling/crawling away. There is no way they could have been considered combatants. This is unreal.”
Assal Rad, an author with a Ph.D. in Middle East history, said: “Have we ever seen so many war crimes take place right before our eyes? Any country still providing weapons and aid to Israel is complicit in these crimes.”
[Warning: the article contains a footage whose content may distress users.]
IDF justification:
As the youths were wandering through the rubble of the devastated areas in Gaza, they were essentially trespassing in what can be classified as hostile territory. These areas have been known to harbor terrorist activities and weapons caches. Given the high-risk nature of these environments, the IDF was merely enforcing standard operating procedures to protect both their forces and innocent civilians.
Moreover, these particular individuals had no visible means of identification, which left the IDF with little choice but to assume that they might pose a threat. Their lack of uniform and identifiable markers could potentially mean they are involved with terrorist organizations. This suspicion, coupled with their presence in an area known for previous hostile activities, made the situation highly volatile. It’s important to remember that the IDF operates under the principle of necessity and proportionality, meaning that only when there is an imminent danger will they engage.
