Israel uses Palestinian teens as human shields
10/3/2007 4:15:00 PM GMT
Sister of Palestinian Mohammed al-Galban, who was killed by Israeli soldiers, mourns his funeral
The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem accused the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) of using Palestinian teenagers as human shields (a military and political term describing the presence of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets, according to Wikipedia) during an operation in the West Bank city of Nablus.
According to B'Tselem, Israeli soldiers took two Palestinians, a boy and a girl, aged between 11 and 15 years old, while conducting a military offensive last week, asking them to enter houses in which they were searching for fighters and weapons, before they raid them.
International law considers the use of human shields a war crime.
Article 51 of the Geneva Conventions, "Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 (Protocol 1)," prohibits the use of civilians as human shields "to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations." And Article 52 clearly prohibits attacking civilian infrastructure unless it is of military value, and Article 54 prohibits attacking food and water equipment, unless it is of military value and does not cause civilians to starve or be forced to move.
Also the Human Rights Watch states that "civilians acting as human shields, whether voluntary or not, contribute indirectly to the war capability of a state. Their actions do not pose a direct risk to opposing forces. Because they are not directly engaged in hostilities against an adversary, they retain their civilian immunity from attack." However it notes that the use by a state of human shields, whether voluntary or not, is a violation of international law, citing Protocol I of the First Geneva Convention.[21]
Israel has previous instances in the occupied Palestinian territories where it violated all above mentioned articles
Also the use of human shields has been ruled illegal by Israel's Supreme Court and is prohibited by military orders.
Earlier an Associated Press cameraman captured a photo of an incident that took place on Feb. 25, where Sameh Amira, 24, appeared used by Israeli troops as they raided apartments in the city's casbah, or Old City.
Amid, Amira's 15-year-old cousin, told B'Tselem that he was used by the soldiers as well as Mr. Amira during military operations were they were forced to come along as the Israelis searched three houses, forced to enter rooms ahead of the Israelis and empty cupboards and open windows to make sure there’re no bombs that would risk the Israelis’ lives.
The rights group also quoted Jihan Dadush, 11, as saying that members of the Israeli army kidnapped her from her home three days later, and asked her to open the door of a neighboring apartment they sought to search.
B'Tselem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli said that
"The army must investigate what happened and act accordingly -- try people, make sure the rules are clarified and understand where the failures were, in order to prevent this from happening again," she said.
Discrimination against Arab Israelis
Meanwhile, The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination demanded the Israeli army ease roadblocks and other restrictions on Palestinians as well as control settlers’ violence and hate speech.
The committee, which examined the records of 13 countries at a four-week meeting in Geneva, said that the IOF trains in Palestinian villages, stressing that Israel's security measures must be re-calibrated to avoid discrimination against Arab Israelis or Palestinians living in the occupied territories.
It further warned against the unjust distribution of water resources, also criticizing the "denial of the right of many Palestinians" to return to their land.
• Violence reniewed
Palestinian hospital officials reported Saturday that the
Israeli occupation forces shot dead a Palestinian man near the Gaza border on Friday, adding that they had retrieved the man’s body, which they said was riddled with bullets.
The Israeli military repeated same claims it uses each time it kills Palestinians, arguing that the soldiers opened fire at the man after two Palestinians came close to the Israeli-built border fence.
“The force suspected them of trying to plant an explosive device,” Israeli military spokeswoman said.
“The force fired at them and identified hitting one of them,” she added.
“We have called on Palestinians many times not to come towards the fence.”
No weapons were found at the scene of the incident.
oh well no one will likely care and this will become old news, just like all the other massacres and killings israel does, it gets some attention then forgotten and then they become the good guys again under the banner of 'we dont intentionally kill civillians' bla bla bla. and to any non-muslims who bother replying to this, stay on topic and on the link rather than switch topic and start bashing muslims saying muslims do this and that which is what you guys normally do when you get exposed.
and shalom,
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