The streets of Qabatiya don’t forget easily—their dust holds onto the weight of moments heavy with violence and grief. In the wake of another raid, that weight settled on the town once again, as a scene, both haunting and stark, played out on its rooftops. A video now circling the world shows Israeli soldiers throwing the bodies of three Palestinians from high above… their lifeless forms dropped without ceremony. The shock in the air is palpable—an unease that ripples far beyond the borders of this town.
Israeli occupation soldiers throw injured men from a rooftop in Qabatiya outside Jenin in the occupied West Bank earlier today. This is Israel’s “self defence” pic.twitter.com/uYQxDYfJP2
— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) September 19, 2024
Not long after, a bulldozer arrives, indifferent and mechanical, clearing away the bodies as though they were just debris. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called it a “serious incident,” a phrase that rings hollow to those who have lost their kin. The investigation, they claim, is already in motion, but the people of Qabatiya? They are left with anger, a deep simmering one, that such actions could be carried out under the name of security.
Seven people lost their lives that day. The official story offered by the IDF is one of militants and firefights, drones, and strikes. Four, they say, died in an exchange of gunfire, and three others after a drone attack. But the focus here isn’t on the bodies lying still… it’s on how they were treated in death—disregarded, discarded, dehumanized.
The rules of war, the laws etched into international agreements, make it clear—bodies, no matter whose, must be treated with dignity. But on that rooftop, dignity was nowhere to be found. Palestinian officials have labeled the act for what it was—a brutal display, one that strips away the pretense of military necessity and lays bare something uglier. It was more than a misstep—it felt intentional, like a message written in violence.
IDF investigating soldiers for abusing dead Palestinians
Israeli troops were caught on camera pushing bodies off a roof during a raid in the West Bankhttps://t.co/WSTy9P3oDc pic.twitter.com/G6iGUK6eHv
— RT (@RT_com) September 20, 2024
A journalist on the ground in Qabatiya spoke of chaos… soldiers encircling a building, trapping four men inside. They made it to the roof, scrambling for safety, only to meet sniper fire. The shots ended lives quickly, but the aftermath—the bodies falling, the bulldozer’s cold hands—will leave scars much deeper. And yet, when questioned, the IDF repeated the same words… this wasn’t who they were, this wasn’t what they stood for.
Among the dead, Shadi Zakarneh’s name looms large. The IDF quickly identified him as a key player in militant circles, the mastermind behind attacks. But in Qabatiya, he was a man with a story, not just a name in an official press release. His death, like those before him, would become part of the fabric of this relentless conflict.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke out swiftly, calling it a crime—unafraid to point fingers, unafraid to name the cruelty. Their words echoed across social media, tracing the contours of an ongoing brutality. John Kirby, speaking from the halls of the White House, didn’t mince words either. The footage, if real, disturbed him deeply. Professional soldiers, he said, don’t act this way.
❝We’re going to be very eager to see what the IDF investigation finds❞
Video recordings appearing to show Israeli forces throwing Palestinian bodies off a roof will be investigated by IDF, says the White House https://t.co/FvvINeIRdW pic.twitter.com/QrOxlqhmC1
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) September 20, 2024
This tragedy, of course, is not isolated. The West Bank is a land torn open, a place where conflict ebbs and surges like the tide. Since the attack by Hamas on October 7, violence has flared, with over 690 Palestinians killed in the West Bank alone. Israel’s raids, almost a daily occurrence, are justified as necessary to stem further bloodshed. But for every raid, every strike, the body count rises. And in Gaza? That count has soared to over 41,000—numbers that stagger the mind but barely begin to capture the human toll.
Major Points:
- Israeli soldiers filmed discarding Palestinian bodies from a rooftop in Qabatiya.
- Bulldozer removes bodies, sparking accusations of dehumanization and brutality.
- IDF calls the incident “serious” but promises an investigation amidst growing outrage.
- Palestinian officials condemn the act, and White House expresses deep concern.
- Violence continues to escalate in both the West Bank and Gaza, leaving thousands dead.
RM Tomi – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News