Israeli occupation soldiers continue to use civilians as human shields

Wednesday April 09, 2008 11:33 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Resident Sameer Abu Khweira from Khallit Al-Amoud area in the northern West Bank city of Nablus reported on Wednesday that Israeli occupation soldiers forced him and his brother to accompany them as the soldiers broke into two homes.

Sameer stated that on Wednesday at approximately 2:20 A.M, soldiers broke into his home and forced him and his brother Sa'id to walk in front of them as they broke into two houses in the area. He added that he, his brother and their uncle had to stand in the cold weather for more than 30 minutes and were used as human shields as the soldiers broke into nearby houses, searched them and kidnapped four residents.

Sameer also said that this act subjected them to danger as the soldiers were carrying out military acts while using them as Human Shields.

At least 23 residents were kidnapped by the army in Nablus on Wednesday at dawn and during the early morning hours.

The Israeli Information Center For Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B'Tselem, previously published a report which included testimonies from residents who were used as human shields in spite of a ban issued by the Israeli occupation government High Court of Justice.

One of the incidents took place in 25 February 2007 when Israeli occupation soldiers used two children and their uncle as Human Shields. The two children, aged 11 and 15, in addition to a 25-year old resident, were forced to walk in front of the soldiers and their jeeps during the "Operation Warm Winter" Offensive.

B'Tselem filed an appeal to the Israeli occupation government Military Prosecutor and demanded a probe into the issue.

On 6 October 2005, the High Court of Justice ruled that it was illegal for the army to use Palestinian civilians during Israeli occupation military actions.

The decision was made on a petition that the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B'Tselem) and six other human rights organizations filed in 2002.

The petition followed the army's use of Palestinian civilians as human shields since the beginning of the second intifada, primarily during IDF operations carried out in Palestinian population centers, as occurred in Operation Defensive Shield, B'Tselem reported.

Using civilians is an international banned measure which constitutes a War Crime and is only formally banned by Israeli law, yet the army uses civilians as human shields and ignores international law.

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