Israel is investigating after its soldiers were filmed throwing bodies from the roof

The Israeli army launched an investigation after its soldiers were filmed throwing three Palestinian bodies from a roof during raids in the West Bank.

Footage of the incident, captured north of the town of Qabatiya, near Jenin, then appears to show an Israeli military bulldozer picking up the bodies.

The images caused widespread outrage. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Friday it was a “serious incident” that was not in line with its standards and what was expected of its army.

Local Palestinian officials say at least seven people were killed by Israeli forces in Qabatiya on Thursday.

Under international law, soldiers have a responsibility to ensure that bodies, including those of enemy combatants, are treated with respect.

The IDF said it carried out an anti-terror operation in Qabatiya, where four terrorists were killed in a “fire salutation” and three others died after a drone strike.

A reporter from Qabatiya told the BBC that on Thursday morning Israeli soldiers were surrounding a building in the city.

He explained that the four men in the house then fled to the roof and were shot by gunmen.

The fighting continued in the city and when it calmed down he said he saw Israeli soldiers go up to the roof and throw the bodies aside, then they were loaded onto a tractor.

When asked about the incident shown in the photos, the IDF said: “This is a serious incident that does not match this.” [our] values ​​and expectations of IDF soldiers. The incident is being reviewed.”

The army said one of those killed in Qabatiya was Shadi Zakarneh, whom it identified as “contributing to directing and carrying out attacks in the northern West Bank”.

It said he was the “head of a terrorist organization” in Qabatiya but did not specify which group he belonged to.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Affairs of Palestine, in the West Bank, described the incident on X, formerly known as Twitter, as a “crime” that exposes the “cruelty” of the Israeli army.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby described the video as “deeply disturbing”.

“If proven to be true, it will clearly show the despicable and bad behavior of professional soldiers,” he told reporters.

There has been an escalation of violence in the West Bank since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza.

More than 690 Palestinians have been killed there since then, the Palestinian health minister said, as Israeli forces stepped up their almost daily raids and arrests.

Israel says it is trying to stop Palestinian attacks on the West Bank and Israel, where at least 33 Israelis have been killed.

In Gaza, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli military action, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.