In Gaza, multiple Palestinians have come forward with allegations that Israeli forces are using detainees as human shields during their military operations, a practice in violation of both international and Israeli law, according to The Guardian. The use of civilians as human shields has been prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that civilians should not be placed in harm's way to shield military operations from attack. Despite this, testimonies from Palestinians and whistleblowers suggest that such practices are still occurring in conflict zones, particularly in Gaza.
Ramez al-Skafi, one of the Palestinians who has publicly shared his experience, recounted how Israeli soldiers detained him after burning down his family's home. Over the course of 11 days in July, he was forced to scout dangerous areas for the soldiers. Skafi explained that Israeli troops sent him into houses, tunnels, and other structures to check for booby traps and Hamas fighters, often under severe physical duress. "I tried to resist their proposal, but they started beating me," Skafi recalled. "The officer told me it was not my choice to make and that I had to do whatever they wanted."
Similar stories were shared by other Palestinians, including Ismail al-Sawalhi, who was held for 12 days and forced into homes to protect Israeli troops during operations in Rafah. Al-Sawalhi described feeling like a "toy" in the soldiers' hands, subjected to dangerous situations to ensure their safety while entering and exiting buildings.
These testimonies align with reports gathered by Al Jazeera and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which have shed light on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) allegedly institutionalizing the tactic. According to a whistleblower from the Israeli dissident group Breaking The Silence (BTS), using Palestinians as human shields is a widespread practice, involving hundreds of detainees, including teenagers, who are forced to sweep tunnels and houses for the Israeli military. The whistleblower further alleged that some detainees were made to wear IDF uniforms and were equipped with cameras to document their activities.
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Israel uses Palestinians as human shields - New York Times investigation pic.twitter.com/BHEgAeC6NX — Merdan Halilovic (@merdannp) October 17, 2024
One particularly harrowing account from Skafi described how, after being shot at by a Hamas gunman, Israeli soldiers placed him in the middle of the confrontation, threatening to kill him if the gunman did not surrender. Skafi stated that his IDF captors forced him to photograph the gunman's body after the gunfight ended, accusing him of helping conceal the fighter's location earlier in the day.
Business Times could not independently verify the reports.
Despite these serious allegations, the IDF has consistently denied using Palestinians as human shields. In a statement, the military asserted that its directives explicitly prohibit such actions, and that any claims to the contrary would be thoroughly investigated. "The orders and directives of the IDF prohibit the use of Gazan civilians captured in the field for military missions that endanger them," the statement said, adding that the accusations had been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for review.
Nevertheless, human rights organizations and UN bodies have frequently documented incidents of human shield use in Gaza. Bill van Esveld, the associate director for children's rights at Human Rights Watch, noted, "There is this repeated history of well-documented accounts by UN bodies, as well as by human rights groups, and indications of Israeli awareness of the problem, but no action. It's no surprise that this longstanding problem would persist."
