Israeli soldiers and former Palestinian prisoners heard by the Associated Press News Agency (AP) reported that Israel’s armed forces use Palestinians as human shields in the Gaza Strip and that the practice is widely adopted in the war against the terrorist group Hamas.
According to the information, published in a report on Saturday, 24, Palestinians are dressed in military clothing, equipped with cameras on helmets and worn to check for houses, buildings and tunnels are free of explosives or terrorists.
In response, Israel’s army said that the use of civilians as human shields is strictly forbidden and that guidance in this sense is often transmitted to soldiers. He also stated that suspected isolated violations are under investigation.
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An Israeli officer interviewed by the AP report narrated that often the orders come from the hierarchical superiors and that almost all platoons in Gaza used Palestinians in scanning.
The practice is considered a war crime and prohibited by international laws. Israeli military commanders accuse Hamas of using the tactic and attribute to this the large number of killed and injured Palestinians since the beginning of the war.
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Seven Palestinians claimed to have been used as shields in Gaza and the West Bank. One narrated that he was threatened with death and forced to inspect houses and tunnels for 17 consecutive days. Another reported that he was separated from the family and that, in one of the scans, he found by chance with his brother, used as a human shield by another platoon.
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Two Israeli army soldiers confirmed that they were involved in practice and stated that their commanders were aware and that some even gave orders in that direction. According to the military, the codename for human shields in the army is a “mosquito protocol.”
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Soldiers said they learned of the use of human shields shortly after the war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, and that use spread in mid -2024. The military heard by AP also stated that the tactic accelerates operations, saves ammunition and avoids the death of sniffer dogs.
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A report obtained by the Associated Press reported that one of these human shields was accidentally killed by Israeli soldiers from another unit who confused him with a member of Hamas./com information from AP
