US asks Israel to probe video showing Israeli drone killing 4 Palestinian civilians

WASHINGTON (AA) – The US has called on Israel to investigate “credible allegations of law of war violations” after a video showed an Israeli drone targeted four unarmed Palestinians in Khan Younis.

Asked about the video, a State Department spokesperson said that the “contents of the video are disturbing.”

⁠“We have not verified the footage, but we have asked the Israelis for more information and an investigation,” the spokesperson said.

⁠“Israel has an obligation to investigate credible allegations of law of war violations and ensure appropriate accountability to prevent any violations from recurring.”

The scenes aired by Al Jazeera were reportedly captured from an Israeli drone in Khan Younis in February, showing the pursuit of the four Palestinian youth and their targeting with several missiles.

Two of them were killed with the first missile, then the third and fourth were killed with two more missiles.

It is clear from the footage that the four civilians did not carry weapons and did not pose any threat.

After two youths were killed in the first hit, the third boy was seen moving away from the targeted site. But the drone followed and bombed him.

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it launched a probe into the footage aired by Al Jazeera.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since October. It has killed nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza, and injured nearly 74,200.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.