Israeli Soldiers Filmed Pushing Bodies Off Rooftops in West Bank Raid

Qabatiya, West Bank — On Thursday, Israeli soldiers were observed pushing three seemingly lifeless bodies from rooftops during a raid in the northern section of the occupied West Bank, with an Associated Press journalist on the scene capturing the event via video.

The AP journalist noted that the soldiers discarded the bodies from the tops of adjacent multi-story buildings, prompting them to fall from sight. This incident adds to a series of alleged violations by Israeli forces, which critics assert reflect a troubling pattern of excessive force employed against Palestinians since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In a statement regarding the incident, the military, utilizing its abbreviation, IDF, expressed, “This is a serious incident that does not coincide with IDF values and the expectations from IDF soldiers.” They confirmed that the situation is currently under review.

During the same operation in Qabatiya, Israel reported that its troops had eliminated four militants. However, the Palestinian Health Ministry based in Ramallah did not immediately verify the number of fatalities, instead stating that one person had died in the town, with another ten Palestinians requiring hospitalization due to Israeli gunfire.

In the video captured by the AP, one can see three soldiers handling what appears to be a rigid body and then dragging it towards the edge of a rooftop, where troops positioned below stand watching. In one instance, the soldiers hanging over the edge before forcefully discarding the body off the roof. Another apparent lifeless body was swung over the edge while, in a separate case, a soldier was seen kicking a body towards the roof’s edge.

Photographs taken by the AP during the raid also depicted an Israeli army bulldozer operating near the structures where the bodies landed.

Multiple journalists present at the scene corroborated the sight of soldiers pushing bodies off the rooftops. Details regarding the identities of the deceased and how they died remain unknown.

Typically, when withdrawing from operations, the Israeli military leaves behind the bodies of Palestinians killed by their gunfire; occasionally, they do take deceased individuals into Israel.

International law mandates that soldiers must ensure bodies, including those of enemy combatants, are treated with dignity. Shawan Jabarin, the director of the Palestinian rights organization Al-Haq, commented on the video, asserting, “There is no military need to do this. It’s just a savage way of treating Palestinian bodies.”

Expressing his skepticism, Jabarin noted that the shocking nature of the video, while troubling, was not unexpected. He questioned whether Israel would conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident, citing a history in which the military rarely prosecutes soldiers involved in reported abuses against Palestinians.

According to Jabarin, “The most that will happen is that soldiers will be disciplined, but there will be no real investigation and no real prosecution.”

Since the increase in violence following the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, Israeli forces have faced accusations of excessive use of force both in the West Bank and in Gaza. Reported incidents include shooting at civilians in Gaza who were waiting for food aid and alleged mistreatment of young Palestinian detainees.

Human rights organizations have accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes since the conflict started. The International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest court, has launched an investigation after South Africa alleged that Israel may be committing genocide against Gaza’s population. Israel has rejected these accusations as “false and baseless” and has requested that the ICJ dismiss the case, but the investigation is ongoing.

The AP reporter who witnessed the Thursday raid also observed a blindfolded, shirtless Palestinian man kneeling next to an Israeli army jeep surrounded by armed soldiers while smoke was seen billowing from multiple damaged buildings.

As global attention shifts to the far more lethal conflict in Gaza, less than 80 miles away, the violence in the West Bank continues unabated. Numerous Palestinians have been killed, shot, and arrested during a sustained military crackdown initiated in that region.

Since the war erupted on October 7, over 700 Palestinians in the West Bank have lost their lives due to Israeli gunfire, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. The northern part of the West Bank has experienced some of the most significant violence during this period.

Israeli officials maintain that their raids are essential for quelling rising militancy, which has escalated since the conflict reignited. During this time, Palestinian gunmen have reportedly attacked Israeli forces at checkpoints and have conducted several strikes within Israel.

Earlier this month, Israel executed its most deadly raid in the northern West Bank since the conflict’s escalation, resulting in at least 33 fatalities.