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Leaders
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Israeli Troops Systematically Use Palestinians as Human Shields
Israeli forces are systematically using Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank as human shields, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP). Several Palestinians and Israeli soldiers told the AP that Israeli troops force Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza, using them to check for explosives or militants in buildings and tunnels. Shocking Testimonies In its report, the AP spoke with seven Palestinians, who said they were used as human shields in Gaza and the West Bank, and two Israeli soldiers, who said that the practice has become widespread since the eruption of the Gaza war, following the October 7 attack on Israel in 2023. Ayman Abu Hamadan, a 36-year-old Palestinian whom the Israeli forces held for 2 and a half weeks in August 2024 and used as a shield in northern Gaza, recalled when he was forced into houses, dressed in army uniform with a camera fixed to his forehead. His mission was to inspect for tunnels, explosives and gunmen. 'They beat me and told me: 'You have no other option; do this or we'll kill you,' he told the AP. Abu Hamadan added that Israeli soldiers waited behind him until they made sure the buildings were clear. Then, they damaged or destroyed them. After he finished his mission, they sent him to a dark room to spend the night until the next morning to do it again. Mosquito Protocol One Israeli officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that orders often came from top commanders and that most Israeli platoons use Palestinians to clear locations. Moreover, two Israeli soldiers who spoke to the AP – and a third one who spoke to Breaking the Silence organization – said that commanders knew about the use of Palestinians as human shields, with some of them giving orders to do so. The practice was dubbed as 'mosquito protocol' and Palestinians involved in this strategy was referred to as 'wasps' and other humiliating terms, the soldiers said. They also said that this practice has become widespread by mid-2024. The officer who spoke to AP said they received orders to 'bring a mosquito' via radio and acted upon the orders of the commanding officers. 'Once this idea was initiated, it caught on like fire in a field,' the officer said, adding that by the end of his 9-months service in Gaza, every Israeli infantry unit used a Palestinian to clear houses before entering. Israeli Military Response The Israeli military denied the allegations, stressing that it prohibits using civilians as human shields. It also added that it bans forcing civilians to participate in such operations, according to a statement to AP. Moreover, the Israeli military said it was investigating numerous cases claiming the use of Palestinians in operations as human shields. In October 2024, the CNN reported that Israeli soldiers were forcing Palestinian civilians to inspect dangerous places in Gaza. The report drew on the testimony of an Israeli soldier and 5 civilians. It showed that this practice was prevalent across northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah. In response, the Israeli military said in March 2025 that it was conducting an investigation on the allegations of using Palestinians as human shields, acknowledging for the first time that there was 'reasonable suspicion' to believe soldiers forced civilians to participate in military operations. 'In several cases, the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division opened investigations after reasonable suspicion arose regarding the use of Palestinians for military missions during the operations,' the Israeli military said in a statement at the time. Moral Collapse Right groups have accused Israel of using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza and the West Bank for decades. Although the Israeli Supreme Court prohibited the practice in 2005, right groups continued to report violations. The recent allegations raised the alarm across right groups, which warned that this practice has become a standard procedure during the war in Gaza. In the light of this, the Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, Nadav Weiman, said: 'These are not isolated accounts; they point to a systemic failure and a horrifying moral collapse.' Breaking the Silence is a non-governmental Israeli organization of veteran Israeli soldiers who served in the Occupied Territories since 2000, aiming to 'break the silence' on Israel's military activities. Short link : Post Views: 1
Boston Globe
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israeli use of human shields in Gaza was systematic, soldiers and former detainees tell the AP
Orders often came from the top, and at times nearly every platoon used a Palestinian to clear locations, said an Israeli officer, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Advertisement Several Palestinians and soldiers told the AP that Israeli troops are systematically forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza, sending them into buildings and tunnels to check for explosives or militants. The dangerous practice has become ubiquitous during 19 months of war, they said. 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 emphasized to the forces.' Advertisement The military said it's investigating several cases alleging that Palestinians were involved in missions, but wouldn't provide details. It didn't answer questions about the reach of the practice or any orders from commanding officers. 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. Rights groups are ringing the alarm, saying it's become standard procedure increasingly used in the war. 'These are not isolated accounts; they point to a systemic failure and a horrifying moral collapse,' said Nadav Weiman, executive director of Breaking the Silence — a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers that has collected testimonies about the practice from within the military. 'Israel rightly condemns Hamas for using civilians as human shields, but our own soldiers describe doing the very same.' Abu Hamadan said he was detained in August after being separated from his family, and soldiers told him he'd help with a 'special mission.' He was forced, for 17 days, to search houses and inspect every hole in the ground for tunnels, he said. Soldiers stood behind him and, once it was clear, entered the buildings to damage or destroy them, he said. He spent each night bound in a dark room, only to wake up and do it again. 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. Still, experts say this war is the first time in decades the practice — and the debate around it — has been so widespread. Advertisement The two Israeli soldiers who spoke to the AP — and a third who provided testimony to Breaking the Silence — said commanders were aware of the use of human shields and tolerated it, with some giving orders to do so. Some said it was referred to as the 'mosquito protocol' and that Palestinians were also referred to as 'wasps' and other dehumanizing terms. The soldiers — who said they're no longer serving in Gaza — said the practice sped up operations, saved ammunition, and spared combat dogs from injury or death. The soldiers said they first became aware human shields were being used shortly after the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, and that it became widespread by the middle of 2024. Orders to 'bring a mosquito' often came via radio, they said — shorthand everyone understood. Soldiers acted on commanding officers' orders, according to the officer who spoke to the AP. He said that by the end of his nine months in Gaza, every infantry unit used a Palestinian to clear houses before entering. 'Once this idea was initiated, it caught on like fire in a field,' the 26-year-old said. 'People saw how effective and easy it was.' He described a 2024 planning meeting where a brigade commander presented to the division commander a slide reading 'get a mosquito' and a suggestion they might 'just catch one off the streets.' The officer wrote two incident reports to the brigade commander detailing the use of human shields, reports that would have been escalated to the division chief, he said. The military said it had no comment when asked whether it received them. Advertisement One report documented the accidental killing of a Palestinian, he said — troops didn't realize another unit was using him as a shield and shot him as he ran into a house. The officer recommended the Palestinians be dressed in army clothes to avoid misidentification. He said he knew of at least one other Palestinian who died while used as a shield — he passed out in a tunnel. Convincing soldiers to operate lawfully when they see their enemy using questionable practices is difficult, said Michael Schmitt, a distinguished professor of international law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Israeli officials and other observers say Hamas uses civilians as shields as it embeds itself in communities, hiding fighters in hospitals and schools. 'It's really a heavy lift to look at your own soldiers and say you have to comply,' Schmitt said. One soldier told the AP his unit tried to refuse to use human shields in mid-2024 but were told they had no choice, with a high-ranking officer saying they shouldn't worry about international humanitarian law. The sergeant — speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal — said the troops used a 16-year-old and a 30-year-old for a few days. The boy shook constantly, he said, and both repeated 'Rafah, Rafah' — Gaza's southernmost city, where more than 1 million Palestinians had fled from fighting elsewhere at that point in the war. It seemed they were begging to be freed, the sergeant said. Masoud Abu Saeed said he was used as a shield for two weeks in March 2024 in the southern city of Khan Younis. Advertisement 'This is extremely dangerous,' he recounted telling a soldier. 'I have children and want to reunite with them.' The 36-year-old said he was forced into houses, buildings and a hospital to dig up suspected tunnels and clear areas. He said he wore a first-responder vest for easy identification, carrying a phone, hammer and chain cutters. During one operation, he bumped into his brother, used as a shield by another unit, he said. They hugged. 'I thought Israel's army had executed him,' he said. Palestinians also report being used as shields in the West Bank. Hazar Estity said soldiers took her from her Jenin refugee camp home in November, forcing her to film inside several apartments and clear them before troops entered. She said she pleaded to return to her 21-month-old son, but soldiers didn't listen. 'I was most afraid that they would kill me,' she said. 'And that I wouldn't see my son again.'
