ANKARA / ISTANBUL

In a disturbing display of cruelty, a video circulated online on Monday showing Israeli soldiers blowing up a residential building in Gaza and using the resulting explosion as a gender reveal stunt for a baby boy with blue smoke amid laughter.

The grotesque footage, reportedly shared by the soldiers themselves on social media, captures the moment a powerful explosion levels a building in a civilian area, with plumes of blue-tinted smoke rising into the sky -- a twisted nod to the celebratory tradition of gender reveal parties. Laughter can be heard in the background as the camera pans over the wreckage.

In a statement last month, the Gaza-based Government Media Office confirmed that the Israeli forces have killed over 18,000 children and 12,400 women since Oct. 7, 2023, while wiping out 2,180 entire families.

The act underscores the impunity with which Israeli forces continue to operate amid one of the most devastating humanitarian crises of the 21st century. 

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s assault on Gaza has left more than 52,500 Palestinians dead -- the majority women and children -- and destroyed or damaged an estimated 92% of the enclave’s homes. The military has relied heavily on bulldozers, aerial bombardment, and ground detonations, with many homes intentionally torched.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The International Court of Justice is also hearing a genocide case against Israel.