U.S. military used Israeli 'roof knock' technique to warn civilians before strike in Iraq

Earlier this month in Iraq, the United States used an Israeli military technique called "roof knocking" to warn civilians about an imminent strike, but a woman was still killed during the operation, a military official said Tuesday.

The April 5 attack in Mosul targeted a building believed to hold $150 million in cash for the Islamic State and an ISIS leader who paid fighters. In 2014, the Israeli military used roof knocking in Gaza, firing a warning missile above or near the target so residents could escape before the actual strike, Reuters reports. A U.N. commission found the tactic caused confusion, and civilians did not have enough time to flee.

Air Force Major General Peter Gersten said the site was tracked by U.S. intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft, and the roof knocking technique was used because women and children were often observed at the building. A Hellfire missile was fired above the building "so it wouldn't destroy the building, simply knock on the roof to ensure that she and the children were out of the building," he said. The woman did leave the building, but then ran back inside and was killed. "It was very difficult for us to watch and it was within the final seconds of the actual impact," Gersten said. The U.S. has "certainly watched and observed their procedure," Gersten said, but did not coordinate with the Israelis for the strike. It's possible, he added, that the coalition could use the tactic again in the future.

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