"Israeli forces use Palestinians as 'human shields'"

The Guardian reported on the 21st local time that Israeli forces are using Palestinians as "human shields" in Gaza.

The Guardian said based on testimony from Palestinian detainees who were pushed into human shields by Israeli forces, pointing out that Israeli military actions violate the Geneva Convention, which stipulates the protection of victims of the war.

Ramez al-Skapi, who was interviewed by the Guardian, said Israeli forces burned his home, detained him separately from his family and forced him into a human shield.

In early July, Skafi said he forced himself into empty houses and tunnels in front of Israeli soldiers in Shuzhai, where he lived, and that his role was as a protective human shield for Israeli forces from Hamas shootings and bhuvitrap.

Scaffi also claimed that he used to be a human shield in the face of Hamas's engagement.

Two other Palestinians interviewed by the Guardian also claimed that Israeli forces used them as human shields, sending them first to unidentified homes and tunnels in Gaza.

Internal accusers interviewed by the dissident veterans group Breaking the Silence (BTS) also revealed that the practice of using Palestinians as human shields is widespread in the Israeli military.

A whistleblower for the Israeli military said Palestinian detainees were used in the search for suspected locations, and that some were among the Palestinians used as human shields.

BTS Director Nadav Wyman, a former Israeli military sniper, estimated that hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza were used as human shields.

The Israeli military's behavior was first reported by Al Jazeera in June and July.

Israeli daily Haaretz also reported in August testimony from Israeli soldiers that there are Palestinians called "Shawish" and used as human shields.

Israeli soldiers claimed the human shield strategy was an institutionalized tactic approved by senior officers, Haaretz said.

In response, the Israeli military denied using so-called "shawish" tactics, saying it prohibits the use of arrested civilians on dangerous military missions through military orders and guidelines at the scene.

However, the Guardian noted that the testimony of Palestinian detainees interviewed in person is largely consistent with reports from Al Jazeera and Haaretz.