Hamas cites AP report as proof of Zionist occupation’s use of Palestinian civilians as ‘human shields’
The Palestinian group, Hamas, commented on a news report by The Associated Press disclosing the Zionist occupation’s use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, saying the victims’ testimony documents “the heinous crimes committed by” the occupation.
Hamas said the crimes referred to in the report were committed “under explicit orders from senior military leaders,” calling them “war crimes and systematic violations of international law.”
The testimonies “reveal a systematic, deliberate policy that reflects the moral and institutional collapse within the ranks of this terrorist army,” the Palestinian group said.
Several Palestinians and occupation soldiers told the AP that throughout the 19 months of war, “Israeli troops are systematically forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza, sending them into buildings and tunnels to check for explosives or militants.”
Dressed in army fatigues with a camera fixed to his forehead, Ayman Abu Hamadan was forced into houses in the Gaza Strip to make sure they were clear of bombs and gunmen, he said. When one unit finished with him, he was passed to the next.
“They beat me and told me, ‘You have no other option; do this or we’ll kill you,'” the 36-year-old told The Associated Press, describing the 2 1/2 weeks he was held last summer by the occupation forces in northern Gaza.
An “Israeli” officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the news agency that orders often came from the top, and at times nearly every platoon used a Palestinian to clear locations.
The AP spoke with seven Palestinians who described being used as shields in Gaza and the occupied West Bank and with two members of occupation forces who said they engaged in the practice, which is prohibited by international law. Accordingly, rights groups are ringing the alarm, saying it’s become standard procedure increasingly used in the war.
“These are not isolated accounts; they point to a systemic failure and a horrifying moral collapse,” said Nadav Weiman, executive director of Breaking the Silence group.
Rights groups say “Israel” has used Palestinians as shields in Gaza and the West Bank for decades, and they continue to document violations to this day.
Separately, Hamas condemned the Zionist occupation for committing a “horrific massacre” on Saturday morning, targeting the home of a physician who works at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, and killing nine of her 10 children while critically injuring her husband.
The attack exposed the occupation’s dark side and the “deep-rooted vengeful spirit driving Netanyahu and his gang of murderers,” Hamas said in a statement.
“This is one of the most atrocious crimes in modern history against medical teams,” Hamas said, noting the occupation’s systematic targeting of health care workers since the war began in October 2023.
According to medical sources, Dr. Alaa Najjar, a physician at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, has lost nine of her 10 children, and her husband, also a doctor, is in critical condition as a result of an “Israeli” airstrike on their home early Saturday.
At least 44 Palestinians have been martyred in the occupation’s air attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, 25 of them in the southern part of the Strip, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
The Zionist occupation’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 53,901 Palestinians and wounded 122,593, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Government Media Office updated the death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
