Israel to Review Shooting of Palestinian Man Waving a White Flag in Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM – Israel’s military has announced that it will investigate the shooting of a Palestinian man who was killed in the Gaza Strip while walking with a group of people waving a white flag. Footage of the incident has raised concerns of possible wrongdoing by Israeli soldiers.
The video shows a group of five men walking slowly down a street in an area west of the southern city of Khan Younis, which is currently a focus of Israel’s ground offensive. The men can be seen with their hands in the air, holding a white flag – a symbol of surrender recognized internationally.
Suddenly, shots are fired, killing Ramzi Abu Sahloul, a 51-year-old Palestinian shopkeeper who was part of the group. The shooter is not visible in the video, but an Israeli tank can be seen nearby before the shots are fired. Ahmed Hijazi, a citizen journalist who filmed the incident, stated that an Israeli tank fired on the group.
After the soldiers shot him, I rushed to help, but the firing continued toward us, Hijazi said.
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, acknowledged that the army is reviewing the shooting. The official stated that the video, first broadcast by CNN and later by the British channel ITV, has helped authorities understand the presence of military forces in the area and raised concerns about possible misconduct by soldiers. However, it is unclear whether a formal investigation will be launched.
The Israeli military has maintained that they take great care in verifying targets before initiating a strike. Palestinians and human rights groups have criticized the Israeli military for their alleged use of disproportionate force and indiscriminate attacks in the Gaza offensive, resulting in a high number of civilian casualties. They argue that military investigations into such incidents rarely lead to indictments of the soldiers involved.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, health officials in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, have reported over 26,000 Palestinian casualties due to the Israeli offensive, with two-thirds of them being women and children. Israel launched its operation in response to a Hamas attack on southern Israel in October, during which militants killed 1,200 Palestinians and took hostages.
Hanan Abu Sahloul, the widow of Ramzi Abu Sahloul, recalled that before the shooting, Israeli forces had entered the building where her family was seeking shelter, along with over 300 others. She claimed that the residents were ordered to leave without their belongings and faced aggression from the soldiers.
When I tried to take my bag, a soldier aimed his gun at my head and ordered me to leave it, she said.
In the video captured by Ahmed Hijazi, Hanan can be seen running towards her husband, crying out in distress, as the group of men swiftly carry Ramzi’s lifeless body back to safety. As gunshots continue to be heard, blood stains rapidly spread over Ramzi’s chest, mixing with the white flag that had been placed upon him.
He was immediately killed – without even a few breaths to say goodbye, Hanan recounted.
As criticism mounts regarding the Israeli military’s conduct during the Gaza offensive, the investigation into the shooting of Ramzi Abu Sahloul will likely serve as a critical test of accountability. The incident further underscores the ongoing conflict’s devastating toll on Palestinian civilians and raises questions about the rules of engagement employed by Israeli forces in their operations.
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