Israel’s military said it has launched a probe into leaked footage which appears to show IDF troops boasting about the summary execution of an elderly man in Gaza. Tel Aviv insists the graphic video is “edited,” and claims the unarmed Palestinian was a suspected “terrorist.”
Obtained by Al Jeezera, the bodycam video reportedly shows a November IDF raid on a refugee camp in northern Gaza, an area left in ruin after months of Israeli strikes. The four-minute clip opens as an IDF unit sweeps a building in the camp, with soldiers heard calling out for “terrorists.”
When one soldier asked whether any of his fellow troops had seen a person inside, another soldier replied: “We opened the door. He fluttered – came in my direction and did like this,” proceeding to wave his arms to demonstrate while imitating the man’ cries for help.
“I killed him with four bullets,” the soldier added, going on to note the man was not armed and “hid beside his bed” before he was shot.
“You took him down? Excellent,” the first soldier is heard saying. “Respect.”
Younis Tirawi, a Palestine journalist, posted on X footage from a body camera that seems to show the incident. Responding to questions from the Times of Israel, the Israeli military claimed the video was “edited,” though did not specify how. It added that IDF troops were under fire in the Shati refugee camp at the time the footage was captured and went on to note that the “circumstances of the incident are under investigation.”.
When the unit re-entered the building for another sweep, an elderly Palestinian man could be seen sprawled out on the floor, apparently dead from his injuries. The IDF later acknowledged he was not armed.
Al Jazeera identified the man as 73-year-old Atta Ibrahim, also reporting that the victim’s family has demanded answers about his death and place of burial.
“The location in question was attacked after shooting was carried out against our forces from the area,” the IDF continued. “During the search, weapons were found and shooting was carried out against an unarmed man who was suspected of being a terrorist and was moving towards the soldier who came to search the house.”
Though the military maintained that it does “everything in order not to harm civilians,” the leaked video is not the first of its kind out of Gaza in recent months. In addition to countless clips showing the relentless bombing of civilian infrastructure across the territory, another disturbing video filmed in Gaza City last November appears to show the moment an Israeli sniper opened fire on a Palestinian woman fleeing the fighting. She was carrying a white flag at the time she was shot and was accompanied by a child.
Will Porter is assistant news editor at the Libertarian Institute. Find more of his work at Consortium News and ZeroHedge.
Everyday I see this in the media, Israel attacks a “refugee camp” or Israel kills an “unarmed man, woman, or child” in “self-defense.” I’m like. Dude! Are you serious!? Am I the only one noticing?
The IDF murdering elderly civilians? I haven’t been this surprised since learning that the Waffen SS committed genocide in WW2 Ukraine.
I’m beginning to think that David and Goliath story is bunch of BS.
That was fucking sickening. Edited my ass. I give up. I now sincerely hope Israel is destroyed.
It is already destroyed, no matter what happens here in the next few months. Any nation where the people are so lost to savagery and immorality that they celebrate the killing of their neighbors with such glee is not long for the world …
The IDF killed 3 Israeli hostages begging for their lives in Hebrew, so why would they do the same to unarmed Palestinians?
Gee whiz, they were waving white flags, which could have been dangerous for the IDF soldiers, you know.
Chris Hedges spoke about being in Gaza and observing IDF taunting kids then shooting at them. He witnessed it with another person, Saccot, I think is his name.
They can only kill innocent unarmed civilian with their US made machine guns…! But when it comes to guerrilla fighting they are chickens screaming in the hen houses…!
When this happens in Ukraine everyone in Russia is sanctioned into economic oblivion, yet the IDF does it and it’s “Self defense” If this keeps up the US is going to lose a lot of credibility in the world for the double standard.
… what wonderful citizens, neighbors, husbands and fathers these must make for The Jewish State.