Serious accusations:

Israeli army uses “human” shields

Israeli soldiers in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip

(Bild: APA/AFP/Israeli Army)

The Israeli army has always justified the numerous civilian deaths in the fight against Hamas and Hezbollah by claiming that the two terrorist militias are using "human shields". Now an IDF soldier and several former Palestinian prisoners themselves are making serious accusations against the Israeli army. Among other things, the detainees were forced to be the first to enter mined areas or buildings.

The infantryman approached the US broadcaster CNN via the human rights organization "Breaking the Silence", which serves as an anonymous whistleblower platform for army personnel, and reported on the so-called Mosquito Protocol. This is what some IDF (Israel Defense Forces) units, especially in the Gaza Strip, are said to be doing.

In the past, dogs were sent ahead to "scout out" potential dangers in house-to-house combat, but this year, during a mission, a military intelligence officer suddenly handed him two handcuffed Palestinian prisoners.

The two were supposed to help them get through dangerous Hamas territory in the northern Gaza Strip. He and his comrades had initially questioned the order, but a superior had told them not to "worry about international humanitarian law". After all, their lives were "more important". But apparently the protest fell on fertile ground after all, as the two prisoners (16 and 20 years old) were eventually released, the soldier told CNN.

What the army says about the allegations
"Breaking the Silence" also provided the TV station with three recordings showing Palestinians moving through the rubble blindfolded and handcuffed. In a statement on Thursday, the Israeli army stated that the guidelines and directives "strictly prohibit the use of civilians in military operations". The army's own units are regularly reminded of these rules.

The Israeli High Court made a decision in 2005 after NGOs filed complaints against the practice of using Palestinian prisoners for raids on buildings. At the time, they had to knock on doors so that the residents or suspected Hamas members would not arouse suspicion.

Palestinians shot during operation
CNN also spoke to five former Palestinian prisoners who recounted their experiences as "human shields". One of them stated that they had to put on Israeli military uniforms and were equipped with cameras. Once, although he was in civilian clothes at the time, the man was supposed to film an abandoned Israeli tank. Suddenly he was shot at. He was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

A 59-year-old Palestinian recalled his time as a "scout" to the US media. His job was to check houses and apartments for possible Hamas fighters. "I always thought of my family," he explained. However, all the buildings he had to search were "fortunately" empty.