12/6/2024–|Last updated: 6/12/202408:34 PM (Mecca time)
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory said that it has documented increasing cases of killing committed by the Israeli army through direct shooting and dropping bombs from small “Quadcopter” drones since the beginning of its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
The Observatory explained – in a report published last week – that the Israeli army uses QuadCopter drones for multiple purposes, from surveillance and espionage to issuing orders to displace residents and intimidate civilians by issuing annoying sounds. The most dangerous thing is to use them as a tool for killing and causing harm among the Palestinians.
The Observatory said that it had seen a video clip published by the Israeli army showing the use of this type of marches to throw bombs at homes and individuals during its military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Return weapon case
The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor report documented the execution by Israeli forces of the Palestinian woman, Salah Muhammad Ahmad Odeh (52 years old), as she was targeted by direct fire from Quadcopter aircraft on May 21, even though she was raising the white flag as she was trying to flee from the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. She was executed in front of her family members.
Her brother Nidal (40 years old) said, “It was late on May 20. My sister, Salah, said it would be better for us to stay at our neighbors’ house in the back street of our house in Jabalia camp, which was swept away by vehicles, and go out the next day in the morning.”
He added, “On the morning of May 21, we agreed on the route. My sister, Salah, chose to carry the white flag and go out in front of us, and we all followed her, and our neighbor from the Abu Tarabish family was with us. We were about 12 people. My sister went out, and as soon as we reached the main street, The Quadcopter fired directly at her, hitting her directly in the head. We found her falling in front of us with blood filling her head.”
The case of Fathi Yassin
The Observatory also documented the martyrdom of Palestinian Fathi Hassan Yassin (70 years old) on May 10, as a result of shooting from Quadcopter aircraft in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
His son Ibrahim said, “After a long night in which we were unable to sleep due to the continued insane bombing by warplanes and artillery shells, we made the decision to leave the house and move to a school where my uncle was displaced.”
He continued, “We left at ten o’clock this morning, and everyone in the area was evacuating it, and Quadcopter planes targeted the displaced, in addition to artillery shells that targeted the displaced who were present in the Zaytoun Martyrs School, which led to injuries.”
Ibrahim added, “The Quadcopter approached us, so I ran away while my father stayed behind, carrying his mattress and blanket, searching for a safe place. The plane directly targeted him with gunfire, and he was killed immediately, and I was hit in the head.”
The case of Ibrahim Atallah
Also among the victims was Ibrahim Aziz Atallah, who was martyred on May 7 as a result of a Quadcopter plane dropping a bomb on him in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
Muhammad Mazen Karam, Ibrahim’s relative, said, “We are residents of the Yarmouk area. I was with my cousin, Ibrahim Atallah, on the street before the Daula intersection in the Zaytoun neighborhood at the Salah al-Din Mosque. We were looking for copper and plastic to sell and support our families.”
He added, “When we passed a side street, a quadcopter approached us, and I warned him after I noticed it, to run away and hide, but he probably did not hear me calling because his hearing is weak.”
He continued, saying, “I went to hide at a corner and told him to hide as well, and suddenly I heard the sound of an explosion and heard Ibrahim’s voice calling, so I told him to hide to the right until someone came to help us. I saw him being targeted by the quadcopter with a bomb I fired. That was at nine o’clock in the morning, and he was killed after I saw him.” “He breathes at first.”
The state of Kamal Al-Astal
The young man, Kamal Hamid Al-Astal (25 years old), narrated how he was injured by a quadcopter that shot him in Al-Qarara, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on the ninth of last March.
He said, “My brother was killed on March 8 as a result of an Israeli bombing, and I was not able to retrieve his body for burial until the next day. So I went at seven in the morning and brought his body and took it to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital (in the middle of the Gaza Strip), and it was shrouded and buried. Then I decided to return to inspect the house in the Al-Qarara area.” .
Kamal added, “After I inspected the house and went up to the roof of the house at 12:00 noon, a Quadcopter approached me. I quickly escaped from it and approached the window and started shooting at me. When I tried to escape again, military aircraft bombed the house and I remained under the rubble for nearly five hours. When I tried to get out and put my leg out. The cell bombed me with a missile and there was no one else in the area until a man and his wife came and took me out.”
Regarding the details of his injury, he said, “My leg bone disintegrated and is no longer present at the knee, and the muscles need to be reassembled, in addition to burns on the face and hands.”
Smash Dragon system
According to previous investigations conducted by the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory, the Israeli army is suspected of using the “Smash Dragon” system produced by the Israeli company “Smart Shooter”, which can be installed on “Matrice 600” and “Matrice 600” aircraft. Thor, produced by Elbit Systems, is a versatile, highly mobile drone designed for short-range operation. It can carry lethal or non-lethal payloads and is capable of performing a wide range of missions. Missions for special and military forces.
The Observatory has previously documented the martyrdom of dozens of Palestinians as a result of being targeted by these marches, either through direct shooting towards individuals, or through random shooting towards gatherings, where a machine gun is installed under the plane and controlled automatically.
The Observatory said that the testimonies it collected confirm that the Israeli army systematically uses Quadcopter aircraft to carry out deliberate killings and executions against Palestinian civilians, especially in areas that witness Israeli incursions and raids and then Israeli mechanisms retreat from them, so that they are targeted by this type of aircraft – or snipers. Those hiding in buildings – civilians trying to return to check on their homes.
The Observatory indicated that this type of aircraft is also used to terrorize Palestinians and negatively affect their psychological health, by issuing terrifying sounds and issuing warnings from the Israeli army, in addition to its constant presence in the airspace.
