Systematic Employment of Human Shields by Israeli Forces in Gaza Revealed by Soldiers and Ex-Detainees in AP Interviews
Israel: Palestinian Civilians Forced as Human Shields by Israeli Soldiers in Gaza Conflict
TEL AVIV, Israel - Palestinian civilians allegedly are being used as human shields by Israeli soldiers during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, according to eyewitness accounts and testimonies from both Israeli military members and Palestinian detainees.
Over a duration of 2 1/2 weeks last summer, Ayman Abu Hamadan, a 36-year-old Palestinian man, claimed he was forcibly employed by Israeli forces as a human shield. Dressed in army fatigues with a camera fixed to his forehead, he was compelled to enter houses in the Gaza Strip to ensure they were clear of hidden bombs and armed militants.
"They beat me and told me: 'You have no other option; do this or we'll kill you,'" Abu Hamadan told The Associated Press, describing his ordeal. "Orders often came from the top, and at times nearly every platoon used a Palestinian to clear locations," he added.
Several Palestinians and Israeli soldiers corroborated these accounts, stating that Israeli troops are systematically forcing Palestinians to put their lives at risk in Gaza, navigating through buildings and tunnels to detect explosives or militants.
The Israeli military insists it strictly prohibits the usage of civilians as shields, a practice it has long accused Hamas of employing in Gaza. Israeli officials attribute the high civilian death toll during its offensive to the militants' actions.
When confronted with these allegations, the Israeli military stated it also bans coercing civilians to participate in operations, and that all such orders are emphasized to the troops. They did, however, acknowledge being investigating several cases where Palestinians may have been involved in military missions, without providing further details.
The practice of deploying civilians as human shields is outlawed under international law. Rights groups are sounding the alarm, asserting that the use of human shields has become routine during the 19-month conflict in Gaza.
Nadav Weiman, executive director of Breaking the Silence - a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers - stated: "Israel rightly condemns Hamas for using civilians as human shields, but our own soldiers describe doing the very same."
Abu Hamadan reported being taken into custody in August after being separated from his family. Soldiers informed him that he would assist with a "special mission." During his 17-day detainment, he was forced to search houses and investigate every hole in the ground for tunnels.
Two Israeli soldiers who spoke anonymously to the AP confirmed engaging in the practice, which they claimed was tolerated by commanding officers at times. Some said it was referred to as the "mosquito protocol," and Palestinians were often dehumanized with offensive terms such as "wasps" and others.
The soldiers claimed that the practice saved time, ammunition, and combat dogs from harm. The practice was introduced shortly after the conflict erupted in October 2023, and it became widespread by the middle of 2024, according to the soldiers.
The Israeli military has been accused of using Palestinians as human shields for decades, with the Supreme Court outlawing the practice in 2005. However, rights groups continue to document violations of this prohibition, stating that the debates surrounding the issue have become more prevalent in this conflict than in previous decades.
In the midst of the ongoing Gaza conflict, cases of civilians being used as human shields by Israeli forces have raised concerns within the realm of general news, politics, and crime-and-justice topics. Eyewitness accounts and testimonies from both Israeli military members and Palestinian detainees have indicated a systematic practice of Israeli troops coercing Palestinians to put their lives at risk by navigating through buildings and tunnels to detect explosives or militants, an actionoutlawed under international law.
