This video is linked to video # (July 16, 2024)

Weapons Used: The Israeli military used an armed Hermes 450 drone to carry out the strike.

Two missiles were launched: The first hit a shack on the jetty, killing one child. The second hit the beach seconds later, killing three more children as they ran.

This incident is the first confirmed use of armed Israeli drones in a lethal strike, according to secret military testimony revealed by The Intercept.

Responsibility:

Drone operators, intelligence officers, and commanders were involved in the attack. Operators admitted they pursued the children believing they were Hamas militants. They requested clarification on engagement rules after the first strike but received no answer and still launched the second missile. Despite this, no one was prosecuted: The Israeli military concluded it was a "reasonable error" and claimed drone footage made it impossible to identify the targets as children.

No testimony was collected from journalists or Palestinian witnesses, and the drone video footage remains classified. Legal and human rights organizations, such as Adalah and B’Tselem, argue the attack showed reckless disregard for civilian life and that the investigation was a whitewash.

The use of drones distributed responsibility, but legal experts argue that this does not reduce accountability—those who ordered and executed the strikes are still responsible under international humanitarian law.

Conclusion:

Despite evidence of negligence and flawed intelligence, the Israeli military closed the case without prosecution. Rights groups continue to challenge the decision, while Israel maintains that the attack followed standard procedures and that the deaths resulted from an "honest mistake" amid the chaos of war.

Context:

The name of the Israeli military operation during which the 2014 beach strike occurred was Operation Protective Edge. It was a 50-day offensive launched by Israel against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during which over 1,391 Palestinian civilians were killed, including 526 children: More than 2,250 Palestinians, including nearly 1,500 civilians, were killed and a further 11,000 were wounded in the conflict, according to Palestinian and UN estimates. At least 18,000 Palestinian homes were completely destroyed, and 73 medical facilities were severely damaged.