UN Envoy: IDF Killing of 80-Year-Old Grandmother Likely Constitutes a ‘War Crime’ (VIDEO)

The killing of an 80-year-old grandmother by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has been described as a potential war crime by a UN envoy, fueling international scrutiny and calls for accountability.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has told Sky News that the actions of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops, who killed an elderly civilian during a raid in the West Bank, may constitute a war crime.

Halima Abu Leil, an 80-year-old woman, was on a grocery run on December 19 when she was shot six times by IDF troops during “counterterrorism activity” at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. She died shortly thereafter.

Albanese told the British outlet on Monday that, upon reviewing the footage, it is immediately apparent that no precautions were taken during these operations—whose legality remains questionable—to protect civilian lives. There was an absence of proportionality as indiscriminate firing targeted specific areas, showing a blatant disregard for distinguishing between combatants and civilians.

“This was a cold-blooded murder that may also qualify as a war crime due to its nature as an extrajudicial killing,” she added.

Sky News acquired and analyzed CCTV footage of the incident to determine what occurred. The recording reveals that IDF troops utilized a vehicle marked as an ambulance, possibly violating the Geneva Conventions.

Abu Leil’s family informed Sky that they wished for the video to be seen.

“They could see she was an elderly lady, yet they shot her six times—in the leg and chest,” her daughter said to the outlet, noting that Halima had fallen to the ground after the first shot.

Sky’s analysis of the video indicates that the IDF might have been aiming at a group of Palestinian men who were possibly armed. However, they had successfully taken cover in a building when Halima was shot.

“The IDF is dedicated to adhering to international law, and the incident in question is currently being reviewed,” stated the Israeli military to Sky News. “The review will investigate both the use of the vehicle depicted in the video and allegations of harm to uninvolved individuals during clashes between our forces and terrorists.”

The use of a marked medical vehicle for a security operation and the killing of Abu Leil may both be considered as potential war crimes.

Following the deadly incursion on October 7, 2023, Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza. Concurrently with its military offensive against the enclave, Israeli security forces and settlers have killed 813 Palestinians—mostly unarmed—in the West Bank since that date. According to the UN Office of Human Rights in occupied Palestinian territory, this figure includes 15 women and 177 children.

The office informed Sky News that any intentional killing by Israeli security forces of Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, who do not present an immediate threat to life, is considered unlawful under international human rights law and constitutes a war crime within the context of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory.