Oral Testimonies from Medical Professionals in Gaza
Beyond the sources cited in our report, we also conducted oral hearings here in Geneva. Three doctors who were directly involved in treating children in Gaza provided testimony to us, and they confirmed what our report has documented based on available material: that gunshot wounds were specifically directed at the head and neck to cause maximum damage. In one particularly tragic instance, a breastfeeding baby was shot by a quadcopter through the head. That child now suffers permanent paralysis as a result of this injury. The report documents numerous instances of this kind, demonstrating a pattern of specific targeting of children.
The Role of Technology in Targeting Children
Quadcopters, as everyone is aware, are equipped with thermal imagery and infrared heat cameras that can detect the shape of a body. This means that soldiers operating these devices, regardless of where they are stationed, are able to immediately identify that a child has appeared on their screen. What is deeply troubling is that, according to testimonies we have gathered, this has become like a game for those operating these weapons. We have documented this reality in our report through direct quotations from Israeli soldiers themselves.
Soldier Testimony on the Dehumanizing Nature of Drone Warfare
One Israeli soldier, speaking in the ITVX documentary "Breaking Ranks Inside Israel's War," described the psychological reality of operating these weapons in these terms: "The drones, in my opinion, are what most dehumanizes the other side. You see everything on a screen. You drop the bomb. It feels like a game. You can sit in some basement of a house, safe, with your helmet off, scratching your balls, half-dressed, and kill Palestinians." This is a direct quotation from that documentary. What is significant here is that Israeli soldiers themselves have placed an enormous amount of incriminating evidence into the public domain. They have documented, in their own words and testimonies, the reality of what has been taking place. This public testimony from the soldiers themselves serves as one of the most powerful indictments of the actions being carried out.