Israel, for the first time, 'accepts' use of Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, probe on: Report
World | Israel investigates IDF's use of Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, marking a first acknowledgment of reasonable suspicion amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Israel has launched an investigation into reports of Palestinian civilians being used as 'human shields' by its soldiers during operations in Gaza,over 500 days into the Israel-Hamas war and after numerous allegations to this extent.
Israel acknowledges "reasonable suspicion"
This marks the first time that the Israeli military has acknowledged that there was a "reasonable suspicion" to believe that soldiers forced civilians to be unwilling participants in military operations.
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Reports have suggested in the past that Israeli military personnel were forcing civilians to enter potentially booby-trapped houses and tunnels to ensure the troops' safety while putting the Gazans in danger.
“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,” said the IDF, as reported by CNN.
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Who is under investigation?
According to the report, the IDF did not confirm the number of investigations or disclose the names of personnel being investigated. Instead, it said, “Those investigations are still ongoing, and accordingly, other details cannot be provided at this time.”
While the exact scope and scale of the alleged practice is not known, reports featuring testimonies of both soldiers and civilians suggest that it was widespread across the territory, especially northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis and Rafah.
What is the 'Mosquito protocol'?
In an interview with CNN last year, an Israeli soldier had fessed up to a practice commonly known as “mosquito protocol”.
The soldier revealed that his unit had forced a Palestinian man to enter a supposedly booby-trapped building ahead of the troops. He explained that if “there are any booby traps, they (the civilian) will explode and not us”.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks.In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.
