During the ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip, small “quadcopter” drones have become one of the usurping entity’s key tools for terrorizing civilians and carrying out direct attacks. No longer merely instruments of reconnaissance, these drones have turned into weapons of killing, arson, and systematic targeting—raising serious human rights concerns over war crimes and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.
Eyes in the Sky and Constant Intimidation
Human rights reports document that the usurping entity flies quadcopters at low altitudes over residential neighborhoods and shelters, even hovering at windows and tents, filming residents and broadcasting terrifying sounds—fake screams for help or the noise of explosions. According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, these practices represent a deliberate psychological warfare strategy that deepens the suffering of Gaza’s civilians.
From Surveillance to Assassination
More alarming is the drones’ use as direct killing machines. Rights groups have recorded dozens of Palestinians killed by quadcopter fire—whether through random shootings at civilian gatherings or targeted assassinations. In one harrowing case, 52-year-old Silah Mohammed Odeh was shot dead by a quadcopter in Jabalia Camp despite holding a white flag, an act human rights organizations described as an extrajudicial execution by drone.
Burning the Tents of the Displaced
The role of these drones also extends to dropping incendiary materials on displaced people’s shelters. In September 2025, quadcopters set fires around Al-Rantisi Hospital and the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza City, destroying tents and the few possessions left to families who had already lost everything. Analysts say the goal is to deprive civilians of any safe refuge and to intensify collective punishment.
Targeting Ambulances
Medical teams have not been spared. Quadcopters dropped incendiary bombs on ambulances parked outside the Sheikh Radwan clinic, destroying the few vehicles still in service. International organizations, including the Red Cross, have condemned these attacks as war crimes, since assaults on medical staff and facilities are strictly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions.
From spying on civilians to carrying out assassinations, torching shelters, and striking ambulances, the quadcopter has become a new symbol of the brutality inflicted on Gaza. These small drones—now transformed into “flying snipers”—spread only fear and death among the population. As their use by the usurping entity grows, international calls are mounting to end this practice and hold those responsible accountable, in order to protect civilians and uphold the most basic principles of humanity during war.
