Gaza ex-detainee describes 40 days of horror as 'Israeli army human shield'

A chilling new account of Israel's alleged use of Palestinian civilians as human shields has emerged from Gaza as mounting evidence points to the systematic practice by Israel of this war crime. 

The practice violates several key legal frameworks, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Specifically, the Fourth Geneva Convention (Article 28) prohibits the use of civilians to shield military operations or areas from attack. It states that "the presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations."

The testimony was shared by the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Club on behalf of a 21-year-old man, identified as M.D., who was allegedly used as a human shield by Israeli forces for over 40 days.

The testimony describes severe mistreatment and torture. M.D. was arrested at Gaza's Kerem Shalom crossing in June 2024 while transporting goods. He claims he was forced to serve as a human shield daily, compelled to wear military uniforms, and equipped with a camera. He recounted being tied to military vehicles, guided by drones, and subjected to beatings if he did not comply. His ordeal culminated on August 6th, when he was shot in the chest and left untreated for half an hour.

Following his injury, M.D. said he was transferred to Soroka Hospital in Israel, where he remained for three days before being released back through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Medical evaluations at Nasser Medical Hospital revealed severe injuries, including broken ribs and lung damage, necessitating ongoing treatment.

The Commission emphasized that M.D.'s case reflects a broader pattern of systematic torture and human rights abuses in Israeli detention facilities, particularly at the Sde Teiman camp, notorious for its harsh conditions that have led to the deaths of numerous detainees.

A recent investigation by Haaretz revealed the extensive and systematic use of Palestinian civilians as human shields by Israeli forces during military operations in Gaza. The report, based on testimonies from Israeli soldiers and commanders, detailed how civilians were forced to accompany soldiers into dangerous areas, often dressed in Israeli army uniforms with cameras attached to their bodies. Senior Israeli military officials, including the Army Chief of Staff, were allegedly aware of this practice.

This testimony emerges amid reports of over ten thousand arrests in the West Bank and thousands more from Gaza, with many detainees subjected to enforced disappearance and severe torture.

This is a translation of an article in our sister publication Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, published by the Ramallah bureau in the West Bank, occupied Palestine