Israel systematically uses quadcopter drones to kill Palestinians: Euro-Med

Israel is employing small drones, known as quadcopters, to directly target and attack Palestinians with the intention of killing and injuring civilians, according to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a non-profit organisation.

The organisation disclosed its findings on its website on February 19, asserting that the Israeli army has escalated its utilisation of electronically controlled quadcopters — previously limited to intelligence operations — for the purpose of harming Palestinians.

According to investigations conducted by Euro-Med, Israel "primarily targets unarmed civilians in shelter centres, hospitals, streets, and densely populated residential areas."

"These civilians pose no threat or danger to anyone, as they are not participants in any hostilities," the rights monitor stated.

It reported that Israeli quadcopter drones opened fire on Palestinians who had gathered to receive flour brought by United Nations trucks on January 11, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 people.

Deliberately targeting civilians

Israel also employed quadcopters in attacks on refugee camps on February 12, refugee schools on February 8, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters on December 24.

The organisation documented an attack on February 12 in which two siblings, Muhib Osama Ezz el Din Abu Jama, aged 19, and Elyas Osama Ezz el Din Abu Jama, aged 17 and with mental and physical disabilities, were killed in Rafah's Al Shaboura refugee camp, located in the southern region of besieged Gaza.

Their father, Osama, reported that a quadcopter overhead began shooting "right at our tent in less than a minute." The father, wounded himself, described how he had to flee the tent, leaving his children behind, in order to "protect what was left of" them.

"We entered somebody's house, and I kept bleeding for three hours until the ambulance arrived and took me to the hospital."

Euro-Med stated that the use of quadcopter drones for extrajudicial executions and deliberate killings of Palestinian civilians has become systematic and widespread, especially targeting those attempting to return and inspect their homes after Israeli military attacks.

Reprogrammed for executions

The Israeli army has repurposed quadcopter drones, originally designed for photography, into aerial weapons for intelligence gathering and targeted executions, according to the report.

These drones, developed by Israeli military industries, feature precise eavesdropping equipment and high-quality cameras and can be programmed remotely, the rights monitor assessed, adding that the drones are capable of carrying out military tasks like shooting and delivering bombs and can be adapted into suicide drones.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has also observed a distinct pattern in the injuries sustained by victims of the described executions and field killings.

Unlike conventional gunshot wounds, the injuries exhibit unique characteristics, indicating quadcopter drones cause them, the rights monitor's report said.

Euro-Med further highlighted that the pervasive use of these drones is intended not only to inflict physical harm but also to instil fear, intimidation, and psychological distress among Palestinians in the besieged Gaza, owing to their frequent presence in the airspace.