Adding to the mountain of evidence that Israel is engaged in a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera on Thursday aired footage of what the news outlet reported was an Israeli drone targeting four Palestinians in Khan Younis last month.
Those killed by the unmanned aerial vehicle in the rubble of the southern Gaza city appear to be unarmed teenagers or young men. According to a translation of the coverage, they were not identified in the reporting.
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.”
I want an objective, non-obsessive-downvoter, explanation as to how anyone in the world knows what really happened? I understand this question feels smarmy, but there so much emotion in this. But how do we know these guys weren’t Hamas?
Please just be chill, I’m not picking a fight or anything like that.
it was hamas IED not an IDF drone
the second projectile could also have been hamas as well
The problem is that according to due process, you need to prove somebody is guilty of something before they are jailed. These people weren’t jailed, they were basically executed from a distance. The burden of proof is on the Israeli military to prove that they WERE Hamas, not on people horrified by the footage to prove the negative. And so far (and historically) the IDF seems to not care to do so, and in lots of cases have given “proof” as justification for one action or another that later turned out to be bullshit.
Not to mention the numerous cases of the IDF killing people in “Press” vests and helmets, or people literally actively waving a white flag. In my opinion, they don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt given their record.
Staying on the topic at hand, and only that, this is war. Killing an enemy on the field has no system of public review. Everything is internal. Neither IDF or Hammas has to provide proof of anything to anybody for any reason except when propagandantistic PR is at play (like you mentioned). At least not now. There will surely be tribunals after this war is “settled.” The only direction proof goes is up the chain of command. I won’t pretend to understand the complexity of target selection and acquisition (especially foreign nations and certainly not terrorists), but I know that that’s how it works. There is no burden of proof, whatsoever.
Those are the cold facts.
Opinion, etc: I hope you don’t read this as some kind of defence or exoneration of any malicious, evil, callous, or accidental killing commited of innocents. I unequivocally do not want or excuse killing civilians. Anyone who does is hideously evil. However, I think a reality check is necessary.
The “burden of proof” is a security blanket most of the world enjoys and vaguely understands. When they see some horrible violence of war, fed to them without context by compromised sources, it’s easy to make assumptions and demand justice. And many of those times, you should, just ideally without the assumptions and propaganda. This isn’t one of this times. I know that the IDF is commiting war crimes, but this video is just war.
Killing obvious civilians is a warcrime. While there are circumstances where this is ambiguous, this example isn’t - Israel needs to overcome the very reasonable conclusion that these were civilians and prove that they were enemy combatants.
Understanding that 60-70% of the Palestinians Israel have killed are children, this will be a tall order.
What makes it obvious?
The video shows 4 people in civilian clothes casually wandering along chatting while unarmed.
Putting aside the thousands upon thousands literal children Israel has slaughtered in the past few months while spewing genocidal rhetoric (because Hamas?), what evidence do you have that this isn’t a warcrime and that they’re combatants? The video contains absolutely nothing suggesting anything of the sort, and no evidence has been presented.
When people say they want to commit a genocide, then kill tens of thousands of civilians, I tend to believe them - why are you so incredulous?
You still really don’t understand how evidence works, huh?
You kill a bunch of people, you’d better be damn sure it’s justifiable - you know - by looking at the evidence. Basic rule of law stuff.
Where’s the evidence? We both know there isn’t any - much like there’s nothing that would justify Israel’s broader genocide.
How do you think evidence works?
Despicable and deplorable
Can’t imagine war being any other way.
You’re a disgrace. A perfect fit in Israel, I bet you’d be buddies with fuckhisfaceyahoo or you wish you were.
So I am despicable for thinking war is disgusting. Thanks I suppose. Goes to show how all these Hamas supporters think.
People are replying to you because you are trying to downplay genocide. You also just called people getting mad at children dying as Hamas supporters. You are being obtuse.
He is getting paid for these comments for sure
Most moral army in the world™.
Disgusting. Justice for Palestine.
Bruh the 4th guy just kept walking at the same pace like he already knew IDF was gonna send the third strike just to kill him too.
State of shock, the human can’t do anything else than what he was doing. It’s a survive strategy of the brain. This alone shows the psychological impact of a genocide on the people in a milionian of second.
This is soooo fucked up. :(
it was hamas IED not an IDF drone
Mountain of evidence from Al Jazeera, but JerusalemPost and YNet are not to be trusted. I sense double-standards. Also, would love to see that mountain of evidence.
Aljazeera is exactly the same. You are just blind to it because it’s showing you what you want to see.
Everyone needs to see this footage that is nowhere in the article. Everyone SHOULD see this its obvious murder without justification. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEOcBkoz6HM
it was hamas IED not an IDF drone
Fucking morons will continue to vote for Genocide Joe anyway
“Oh no, that’s so sad.” - Biden
"Finish the job. " - Trump
Pretty sure Palestine is cooked.
Cucked into believing he cares suddenly before an election? Meanwhile sending billions of dollars of weapons to Israel? Are you really that gullible? And no idea what Trump has to do with this. You’re right though, Palestine is cooked.
Fucking morons will continue to vote for Genocide Joe anyway.
And no idea what Trump has to do with this.
Because Dictator Donnie is the only other option. Believing any other candidate is even a viable choice is delusional. American politics is fucked so voting for 3rd party is not remotely helpful. You either vote for Joe or are complicit in the MAGA agenda.
This thinking is why you only have two options. This thinking is designed by the establishment to get you to vote for shit sandwich A or shit sandwich B. But you know what, you actually do have power with your vote to either not use it, or to vote for someone other than a shit sandwich. So while you are more than welcome to continue eating shit, I’m tired of it. A vote for uncommitted, a vote for Bernie Sanders, a vote for Princess Unicorn, etc, does not in any way shape or form equal a vote “for the other guy.” Blame me all you want, but it’s people like you who keep voting for genocidal geriatrics for why we’re stuck in this miserable corporate-run “democracy.”
