UN says footage of Israeli troops throwing Palestinian bodies off roof 'inhumane'

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN on Friday has condemned the "inhumane" video footage showing Israeli forces throwing Palestinian bodies from a roof in the occupied West Bank.

Asked about video clips shared on social media showing Israeli forces throwing bodies of Palestinians off a roof in Qabatiya near Jenin, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference that the video "is frankly grotesque and inhumane."

"From what we've seen this morning, we're obviously very concerned about the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, including the latest Israeli military operation," he added.

Dujarric stressed the importance of a "transparent" investigation into the incident and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Video of the incident circulated widely on social media, appearing to show Israeli troops tossing the bodies off a roof of a multi-story house in the city of Qabatiya, which lies just south of Jenin. Eyewitnesses said the Palestinians had been engaged in a gunfight with the troops when they were killed.

The witnesses told Anadolu that a military bulldozer subsequently lifted the bodies using its metal claw attachment.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank amid Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,300 people, mostly women and children. The Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel that precipitated the conflict killed about 1,189 people and resulted in 250 others being taken back to Gaza as hostages.

At least 710 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, and nearly 5,700 others have been injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice in July that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.​​​