Tariq Kenney-Shawa, Al-Shabaka’s U.S. policy fellow, said: “This is among the worst footage I’ve seen. Not only were these boys clearly unarmed and present no threat whatsoever, but they were struck multiple times even after stumbling/crawling away. There is no way they could have been considered combatants. This is unreal.”
Assal Rad, an author with a Ph.D. in Middle East history, said: “Have we ever seen so many war crimes take place right before our eyes? Any country still providing weapons and aid to Israel is complicit in these crimes.”
[Warning: the article contains a footage whose content may distress users.]
Whether they are armed or not is less important than whether they were legitimate Hamas-related targets. This footage has no context in that regard.
Drone strikes are expensive, why not reserve them for gatherings of dozens of Gazans? Why take out small groups like this? Why release the video?
Typically, the fellows pulling the trigger are so far removed from the costs it ceases to be a factor.