Explosive-laden 'killer' robots devastate Gaza neighbourhoods: report

Israel’s military has intensified its use of explosive-laden robots in northern Gaza, causing widespread destruction, fear and civilian deaths, according to a report on Sunday by The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The devices, often modified M113 armoured vehicles carrying around five tonnes of explosives, have been deployed particularly in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia. Over the course of one week, five were detonated in Beit Lahia alone.

Unlike conventional strikes, these robots are remotely operated and can remain stationary for hours or days in front of homes, hospitals or residential blocks, creating prolonged periods of dread. Witnesses told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the explosions often result in devastation greater than typical airstrikes, destroying entire buildings and sending debris flying hundreds of metres.

Mahmoud Nasser, who was receiving treatment at Kamal Adwan Hospital during the third Israeli ground offensive in late 2024, described how one such robot parked outside the hospital entrance.

"We couldn’t sleep that night. Everyone was holding their breath, because its detonation would have destroyed the hospital and killed everyone inside. When the robot finally moved away in the morning, we all breathed a sigh of relief," he told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Before he was wounded, Nasser had decided not to evacuate his home in Beit Hanoun, where he witnessed several explosions. "The sound was terrifying - like an earthquake. The walls trembled, and the area was obliterated. Residents now recognise these robots by their stiff movements. One stopped outside the Abu Odeh family’s home - they thought it was a normal vehicle, but it exploded, killing all seven family members."

The scale of damage makes recovery efforts nearly impossible, said Civil Defence paramedic Mohammed Tamous.

"In November 2024, 15 robots were detonated on two streets in Jabalia Camp. The explosions wiped out entire blocks. Dozens were martyred. Most residents fled due to constant shelling and forced evacuation orders," he said. "We were five kilometres away and still heard it like it was next to us. Some debris reached us. People lost hearing. Rescue is impossible - the area is erased."

The use of these machines has coincided with renewed mass displacement of Palestinians across northern Gaza. While Israel claims its operations target militants, rights groups have said such tactics constitute collective punishment.

Abu Nasr, who was just one kilometre away from the site where 15 robots were detonated over the course of a single day, recalled:

"We spent the whole day counting robot explosions. We entrusted ourselves to God - the sounds were terrifying, and the destruction immense."

Musab Shabat fled with his family from Gaza City’s Al-Jalaa Street. "You feel a tremor in the earth, like an earthquake, but louder. Even a kilometre away, it feels next to you," he said. "I couldn’t calm my children. When it’s a robot, it means entire blocks vanish."

Shireen Mousa Hamdan, 37, displaced from Beit Hanoun, said: "[Israel] sent robots daily. They roamed the alleys and spread fear. Our three-storey house was hit in an airstrike. My son was martyred. I had a skull fracture and now use a wheelchair. All my husband’s brother’s family were killed."

She later learned a robot exploded near her home: "It destroyed five houses and turned them to ash. A tank fires one shell - you can hide. But a robot turns everything to dust."

Rights group the Euro-Med Monitor has condemned the use of these robots by Israel, stating that their deployment in civilian areas constitutes a violation of international law. The organisation emphasised that such weapons are indiscriminate and cannot distinguish between military targets and civilians, thereby posing a significant risk to non-combatants.