Washington - Saba:
The Associated Press revealed on Saturday, citing several Palestinian detainees and Israeli soldiers, that Israeli forces are "systematically" forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza, sending them into buildings and tunnels to search for explosives or militants.
The agency spoke with seven Palestinians who revealed their use as human shields in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. They noted that this "dangerous" practice has become common during the 19-month-old war.
For their part, two members of the Israeli army told the same agency that they had participated in this practice, which is prohibited by international law.
Ayman Abu Hamdan, who was arrested in August, testified that enemy soldiers told him he would be assisting in a "special mission" and that they forced him to search houses and every hole in the ground for tunnels for 17 days.
Abu Hamdan added, "They beat me and told me, 'You have no choice. Do this or we'll kill you.."
An Israeli officer, whose identity was not revealed, testified that orders "often came from above," adding, "Sometimes, almost every platoon would use a Palestinian to evacuate positions."
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz had previously reported the testimony of a reserve soldier returning from his service in the Netzarim corridor, who spoke about the Israeli army's actions in the Gaza Strip, describing what was happening there as "systematic war crimes."