The Growing Threat of Remote-Controlled Warfare: Are We Civilians at Risk?

In the age of advanced technology, warfare has undergone a dramatic transformation. Soldiers no longer need to step onto the battlefield to face who they deem as their enemies.

Instead, conflicts are increasingly being waged from remote control rooms, using UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System), more informally known as drones, to surveil and strike with pinpoint accuracy. However, this shift to drone warfare raises severe human security concerns, particularly about civilian safety and accountability.

A recent viral video circulating on social media provides a stark example of the cold detachment and moral decay accompanying this warfare. In the footage, Israeli soldiers—young men—are heard surveilling three Palestinian civilians boarding a car from a remote control room. As they watch, the soldiers wait for them to be all inside before launching a drone strike that obliterates the vehicle with all three inside, vanishing into pieces. What makes this video even more disturbing is the behaviour of the soldiers. They are heard laughing and celebrating after the strike, as though it were a scene from one of the video games they likely enjoy playing. The eerie, psychopathic nature of their reaction points to a chilling truth: these individuals have been indoctrinated to enjoy killing.

This normalisation of violence, facilitated by a drone control screen, blurs the line between war and entertainment. The detachment which drones provide reduces accountability and risks to the perpetrators, fostering a mindset of desensitisation and thrill-seeking among those far removed from the consequences of their actions.

The dangers of drone warfare are increasingly extending beyond those engaged in combat.

Civilians, including journalists, are becoming victims of this increasingly common practice. In July (2024), Al Jazeera journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in a targeted drone strike when in their car while documenting the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Journalists like al-Ghoul and al-Rifi, who risk their lives to expose the truth, are increasingly becoming collateral damage—or worse, intentional targets—in areas of conflict.

Their deaths highlight a disturbing trend where the omnipresent threat of drone strikes overshadows freedom of the press, the right to report and dissent, and the human right to exist.

In yet another heart-wrenching instance, a wounded Palestinian civilian, immobilised and seeking help through his phone, was blown up by a drone strike. This man, already injured and unable to move, was defenceless as he became yet another victim of remote-controlled warfare. No one will be held accountable for this crime, either. This tragic story underscores the dehumanising nature of using combat drones. With operators sitting miles away while chitchatting and munching snacks, there is a chilling lack of empathy or accountability for the devastation they unleash.

A Global Concern We Must Become Aware of: Combat Drones Used Beyond Battlefields

While the recent tragedies in Gaza are drawing attention to the dangers of drone attacks, the implications extend far beyond any single conflict. As drone technology becomes more widespread and accessible, there is a growing concern that it will increasingly be used not just in what could be called “war zones” but also to monitor and suppress dissent around the world. This disturbing reality threatens the immediate safety of us civilians and broader issues of privacy, security, and human rights.

Governments are relying on drones to carry out military strikes and surveillance operations. But as we witness, the same technology is being used to silence political opposition, intimidate communities, and eliminate any form of dissent. The ability to surveil and strike remotely opens the door to a new form of control that could be employed anywhere, at any time, without consequences or accountability.

The Unseen Killers in the Sky

One of the most concerning aspects of drone misuse is the total disconnect between the operator and the human target, made possible by the advanced technology that renders these drones nearly invisible to those they aim to strike.

Drones like the MQ-9 Reaper, Heron TP, and Elbit Hermes 450, or even more advanced models like the long-endurance Global Hawk UAS, can operate at altitudes as high as 50,000 feet (15.24 kilometres). This is significantly higher than the cruising altitude of most commercial planes, which typically fly at around 30,000 to 40,000 feet (9 to 12 kilometres).

At these heights, they are invisible to the naked eye and difficult to detect, even with sophisticated radar systems. A near-invisible threat capable of carrying out what amounts to ‘hit-and-run’ operations from the sky. Civilians on the ground do not survive these strikes. If anyone nearby witnesses the aftermath, all they can see is smoke, and the living target is reduced to unrecognisable pieces, or ash.

These drones carry a range of armaments—from ballistic missiles and laser-guided bombs to smaller, more subtle munitions designed to minimise blast radius but still ensure lethal effectiveness. UAS can deploy weapons like the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or even specialised payloads like fragmentation munitions and thermobaric explosives, ensuring that their lethality can be adapted to the target’s environment.

In fact, in some cases, precision-guided munitions are being used to allow the drone operator to pinpoint targets such as vehicles, individual homes, or even specific rooms within buildings.

Therefore, it is almost safe to say that there is no room for error or miscalculation that can be used as an excuse.

Moreover, military secrecy regarding the use of UAS makes it impossible to track the number of drones in the air at any given time, unlike civilian aircraft, which must broadcast their positions via transponders. The only ones who know where these drones are and what they are doing are those controlling them.

This lack of transparency creates a terrifying scenario for civilians.

How can anyone protect themselves from a weapon they cannot see, hear, or track? The increasing threat is both physical and psychological.

As seen in the cases of al-Ghoul, al-Rifi, the wounded civilian, and countless others, the consequences of this increasing dehumanisation, lack of respect, and blurred distinction between combatants and non-combatants reflect genuinely Armagedonian realities. The more normalised this practice becomes, the greater the risk that these technologies will be used beyond conflict zones, targeting anyone deemed a threat or obstacle by those in power.

From monitoring political opposition to silencing journalists, drones have the potential to become tools of oppression, not just instruments of war.

Disclaimer: This article does not seek to promote fear-mongering; instead, it offers a forecast grounded in evidence and highlights the impunity with which governments like Israel, with the hurtful support of the United States, are systematically violating international and human rights laws during its military operations in the Middle East.

Urgent Call for Strict Regulations and Enforceable Penalties on Drone Warfare

The growing use of combat UAS demands immediate global attention and regulation. Without proper oversight, drone strikes will continue to claim civilian lives with little accountability. The normalisation of remote-controlled killings not only threatens civilians in conflict zones but also undermines freedom of the press, political dissent, and human rights globally.

The ongoing violence in Palestine has exposed the fragility of democracy, peace, and international security. With persistent violations of the rule of law, alongside the indiscriminate bombing and displacement of civilians, it has become increasingly clear that our collective human rights are at risk of collapse.

The deaths of civilians, including journalists like Ismail al-Ghoul and Rami al-Rifi, must be a wake-up call. Politicians owe us more than rhetoric—they owe us accountability for their actions, including the crimes against humanity perpetrated under their watch. Our taxes should not fund weapons that perpetuate war and suffering; they are meant to support our health, education, and infrastructure. Anything less is a profound failure of leadership and a betrayal of the public trust, safety and security. We must continue to demand that the priorities of governments shift away from fuelling violence and towards preserving life, justice, and dignity for all.