IDF Acknowledges Serious Misconduct Following Shooting of Palestinian Grandmother

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The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have admitted to a "serious offence" in the wake of a Sky News investigation revealing that a marked ambulance was used during a raid in the West Bank that resulted in the death of an 80-year-old Palestinian grandmother, Halima Abu Leil.

According to footage analyzed in the Sky News report, Abu Leil was shot during the IDF operation in Nablus on December 19, 2024. The investigation highlighted a blue vehicle marked as an ambulance, from which individuals dressed in military gear exited before the shooting. This use of a medical vehicle for military purposes raises significant legal concerns, potentially violating the Geneva Convention and constituting a war crime.

In their statement to Sky News, the IDF confirmed that personnel from the 'Duvdevan' unit employed the ambulance-like vehicle without proper authorization or approval from relevant commanders. While the IDF acknowledged the serious misconduct and stated that the unit commander has been reprimanded, they did not provide further information regarding the circumstances surrounding Abu Leil's death, noting that an examination of the incident is currently underway.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territory, commented on the incident, stating that the lack of precautions to protect civilian life during the operation could amount to an extrajudicial killing. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli security forces and settlers have been implicated in the deaths of at least 813 predominantly unarmed Palestinians, including 15 women and 177 children, according to the United Nations Office of Human Rights.

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