A recent video released by Israeli weapons maker Elbit Systems showing a new drone has raised concerns over high-tech automated weapons that could be used against Palestinian civilians, The New Arab reported.

Lanius is a new armored drone that is able to map buildings and fly through small corridors and doorways, including in urban areas.

The weapons maker says it will make it easier for users to find “points of interest for possible threats” and can carry lethal or non-lethal payloads to perform a “broad spectrum of mission profiles”.

“Lanius combines a number of technologies that put it at the forefront of how drones are transforming war,” says Elbit.

Dr. Samuel Perlo-Freeman from the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) says any new lethal Israeli capability is likely to mean more terror and death for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

“The fact that these drones are designed to operate in tight urban environments…could add a new dimension of terror for the civilian population, with deadly drones loitering around the buildings where they live and work, never knowing whether or when they might strike,” he told The New Arab.

The New Arab approached Elbit Systems for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

(The New Arab, PC, SOCIAL)