Fri Sep 20 12:20:50 UTC 2024: ## Israeli Troops Under Investigation for Throwing Dead Palestinians Off Rooftop
**Qabatiya, West Bank** – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is investigating troops for throwing the bodies of three dead Palestinians off a rooftop during a raid in the town of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank. The incident, which was captured on video by several witnesses including journalists from AP and Al-Araby, has sparked international condemnation.
Videos show Israeli soldiers dragging the bodies to the edge of the roof of a multi-story building and then pushing them over the side. In one instance, a soldier was seen kicking a body off the roof. The Palestinian men had reportedly been killed during the raid.
“This is a serious incident that is not in line with IDF values and what is expected of IDF soldiers,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Al-Araby reporter Ameed Shehadeh, who witnessed the incident, told CNN that Israeli soldiers had attempted to bring the bodies down using a bulldozer but were unsuccessful. “They went up and kicked and pushed the bodies off the roof,” he said. “They kicked and pushed and threw three different bodies from one roof, and a fourth body was thrown off the adjacent roof a few meters below.”
The IDF has confirmed that four gunmen were killed during the operation in Qabatiya, which was part of a larger “counterterrorism operation” launched in the West Bank in response to a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv last month.
International law requires militaries to treat dead bodies, including those of enemy combatants, with respect and return them to their families. The incident has raised concerns about the IDF’s conduct during the ongoing conflict in the West Bank.
Over 700 Palestinians in the area have been killed by Israeli forces since last October, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
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