Hamas Accuses Israel of Using Explosive-Laden Robots to Destroy Gaza City Neighborhoods

Gaza City, September 3: The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has accused Israel of employing explosive-laden robots in a systematic campaign to devastate neighborhoods across Gaza City, describing the tactic as part of a wider policy of genocide against Palestinians.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas said the Israeli military was using “unprecedented methods” under its ongoing Operation Gideon Chariots II, launched to seize Gaza’s largest urban center. The group alleged that the robots, carrying “tons of explosives,” were being detonated inside residential areas, adding to already devastating aerial bombardments.

Hamas denounced the actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity, pointing to the mounting civilian toll in Gaza, where nearly one million displaced people have sought refuge. Since the start of the war in October 2023, more than 63,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to local authorities.

The group condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for pursuing what it called “criminal ethnic cleansing” and highlighted the International Criminal Court’s 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged atrocities in Gaza.

On Tuesday, at least 10 members of the al-Aff family, mostly women and children, were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Hamas reported. In Khan Younis, a drone attack killed 11 more civilians, including seven children, as they queued to collect water.

Hamas urged the UN Security Council to intervene immediately, enforce a ceasefire, and hold Israel accountable. It also criticized the United States for serving as Israel’s “partner in crime” by providing sustained military and political support.