Adding to the growing body of evidence suggesting Israel's involvement in a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera released footage allegedly showing an Israeli drone targeting four unarmed Palestinians in Khan Younis the previous month. Pro-Israel social media users circulated the footage, claiming that the four Palestinian men were carrying improvised explosive devices, pointing to a second explosion in the video as justification for Israel's crime. However, Misbar's investigative team confirmed that Israeli missiles caused the two explosions.
Israeli Air Strike Claims the Lives of Four Palestinian Civilians
On March 22, Al Jazeera released drone footage revealing recent Israeli attacks on unarmed Palestinian individuals in the Al-Sikka area Khan Younis region in early February amid the continuing Israeli offensive in Gaza.
In the footage, four men are seen walking along a bulldozed dirt road lined with rubble and demolished buildings. They appear to be unarmed, carrying nothing in their hands, and are reportedly searching for their homes to assess the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes in the area.
Suddenly, the four men are struck by what seems to be an airstrike, instantly killing two of them. Despite the initial attack, the other two men continue to move. Afterward, one is displayed walking slowly while the other is crawling until they are both hit by successive direct missile strikes.
Pro-Israel Users Justify Killing the Four Palestinian Civilians
Some individuals have asserted that the second explosion in the footage was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) carried by the individuals, suggesting that these men were combatants.
The Israel War Room account on the X platform posted the video and implied that the secondary explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED).
It is notable to mention that The Israel War Room, which self-identified as fact-checkers combating anti-Israel misinformation and propaganda on their website, circulated false claims dodging Israel's accountability for confirmed crimes in Gaza.
Another user on the X platform shared the footage and made similar claims, referencing "Pallywood," a hashtag used to suggest a systematic trend to downplay Palestinian suffering and accuse them of fabricating deaths and injuries during the intense Israeli war in Gaza.
Misbar Confirms Secondary Explosion as Israeli Air Strike
Misbar’s investigative team found a slow-motion video of the same scene uploaded to X.
It has been determined that both explosions in the video were caused by Israeli drone missiles. The slowed-down footage highlights the missiles more prominently, especially in the closing scenes, where a difference-mode matte of a frame from earlier in the sequence isolates areas with movement, enhancing visibility.
IOF Investigates Al Jazeera's Leaked Footage
The video's release has sparked widespread outrage online, with numerous social media users and officials accusing Israel of blatantly engaging in genocide in Gaza.
The Israeli Occupation Forces Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed on Friday that they are looking into the leaked drone footage aired by Al Jazeera. The footage has been submitted to the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, an independent military entity tasked with investigating unusual incidents during wars, for a thorough review.
The United Nations expressed profound dismay on Friday over the footage, stating that the incident necessitates an investigation.
U.N. Expresses Dismay, Calls for Investigation
Farhan Haq, U.N. Deputy Spokesperson, addressed the footage aired by Al Jazeera channel, stating, "Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) is deeply disturbed by the video footage."
Haq conveyed that Guterres has called for a "thorough, independent, and credible" investigation into the killings of the unarmed Palestinians.
Highlighting the U.N. chief's call for all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, Haq emphasized the importance of observing the principles of distinguishing civilians from resistance fighters.
The Israeli Offensive in Gaza Intensifies
Since October 7, Israel has reportedly killed over 32,552 Palestinians and injured 74,980 individuals.
On Thursday morning, Al Jazeera Arabic reported Israeli airstrikes targeting northern Gaza, including Gaza City, and the Shati and Jabalia refugee camps.
In addition, footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows Israeli soldiers fatally shooting two Palestinian men walking along the coast towards northern Gaza. Despite raising white pieces of cloth, the men were then buried by an Israeli bulldozer.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), almost 160 Palestinians were killed and 195 injured by Israeli attacks between Monday and Wednesday, amidst heavy fighting in northern Gaza City.
OCHA also reported that two-thirds of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are currently non-functional, with those still operating being either minimally or partially functional.
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