IDF claims volunteers helping with Palestinian olive harvest downed military drone, despite contradictory footage

The IDF claims that volunteers aiding with the olive harvest in the West Bank downed a drone by throwing rocks at it, after The Times of Israel inquired about an incident earlier today in which a Rabbis for Human Rights volunteer was injured, reportedly by the drone.

In response to the Times of Israel inquiry into the incident and about footage that appeared to show soldiers from a regional defense unit pointing their weapons at the volunteers, with one firing into the air, the IDF says: “Israeli civilians arrived to harvest olives near the settlement of Revava, in the Ephraim Brigade sector. An IDF unit launched a drone that struck the harvesters, who then downed it by throwing stones.”

This account contradicts the footage, which shows the drone falling to the ground after hitting the volunteer who had come to assist Palestinians in harvesting their olives near the village of Deir Istiya in the West Bank.

“The force arrived at the location to retrieve the drone,” the IDF statement continues. “A violent disturbance then broke out between the Israeli civilians and the troops, who responded with live fire to remove the threat.”

“The conduct of the forces in the incident is under investigation,” it adds.