UN envoy describes IDF murdering of 80-year-old grandmother as ‘war crime’
Date
1/18/2025 7:10:43 AM
(MENAFN) UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has suggested that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) may have committed a war crime by killing an elderly Palestinian woman during a raid in the West Bank. Halima Abu Leil, 80, was shot six times by IDF troops on December 19 while running errands in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. She died shortly afterward. Albanese reviewed footage of the incident and stated that the attack appeared to lack precautions to protect civilian life, which could indicate a violation of international law, specifically the principles of distinction and proportionality.
The UN envoy described the incident as a potential extrajudicial killing, noting that the use of a marked ambulance vehicle during the operation could also constitute a breach of the Geneva Conventions. Abu Leil’s family, who viewed the CCTV footage, claimed that she was shot despite being clearly identifiable as an elderly woman.
The Israeli military responded by stating that the incident is under review, including the use of the marked vehicle. However, the UN Office of Human Rights has stated that any deliberate killing of Palestinians who do not pose an imminent threat constitutes a war crime under international human rights law. Since the beginning of Israel's war on Hamas in October 2023, there have been ongoing reports of Israeli forces killing unarmed Palestinians in the West Bank, raising concerns over the use of excessive force.
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