Don’t Let Drones Fly Under the Radar

Drone strikes are synonymous with targeted modern warfare but scant data exists to illustrate civilian impact. A new study of injuries among Gaza rehab center patients surfaces the need for more scrutiny.

Attacks by drones cause more civilian injuries than other explosive devices and accounted for 54% of injuries in the study led by Arctic University of Norway’s Hanne Heszlein-Lossius. Drone injuries also tended to be more devastating, requiring major amputations and surgery—indicating a need for a humanitarian legal framework restricting armed drones.
 
 “The increasing use of drones needs to be addressed, rather than passively accepted, by the international community,” the authors write.
 
The Lancet Planetary Health