Israeli soldiers accused of widespread use of human shields in Gaza – Middle East crisis live
Update:
Date: 2025-05-24T08:47:29.000Z
Title: Israeli soldiers and former detainees tell AP Israel's use of human shields in Gaza is widespread
Content: Several Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have told the Associated Press (AP) that troops are systematically forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza, sending them into buildings and tunnels to check for bombs and gunmen. They told the AP that the practice has become ubiquitous over 19 months of war.
The AP spoke with seven Palestinians who described being used as shields in Gaza and the occupied West Bank and with two members of Israel's military who said they engaged in the practice, which is prohibited by international law.
In response to these allegations, Israel's military says it strictly prohibits using civilians as shields – a practice it has long accused Hamas of using in Gaza. Israeli officials blame the militants for the civilian death toll in its offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
In a statement to the AP, the military said it also bans otherwise coercing civilians to participate in operations, and 'all such orders are routinely emphasised to the forces.'
The military said it is investigating several cases alleging that Palestinians were involved in missions, but would not provide the AP with details. The news agency said that the Israeli military did not answer questions about the reach of the practice or any orders from commanding officers.
Rights groups say Israel has used Palestinians as shields in Gaza and the West Bank for decades. The supreme court outlawed the practice in 2005, but the groups continued to document violations, reports the AP.
Experts say this war is the first time in decades the practice – and the debate around it – has been so widespread.
More on this story in a moment, but first, here are some other key updates:
The Israeli army reported that 83 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing on Friday, after security inspections. The aid included food, medical equipment and medicines.
The UN has called for more aid in Gaza to meet the territory's 'massive needs'. In its latest humanitarian update, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said it 'stressed once again that the small amounts of supplies being allowed into the Gaza Strip are nowhere near enough to roll back the extreme deprivation that Gaza's population is facing'.
UN secretary general António Guterres said on Friday that Palestinians were enduring 'the cruellest phase' of the war in Gaza, where more than a dozen food trucks were looted after the partial easing of a lengthy Israeli blockade.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least six people on Saturday across the Palestinian territory, where Israel has ramped up its military offensive in recent days. 'Our teams have recovered at least six dead,' civil defence agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
More than 40 leading Jewish organisations issued a joint set of urgent requests from the US government after Wednesday's deadly shooting outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum, Haaertz reported.
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The Independent
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