Last Updated on 09/09/2024 by Arun jain
In the tent of Khan Yunis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed S. Sits down and tells a story that doesn’t fit into the usual narratives.
For almost a year, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been fighting Hamas and other terrorist organizations there, which have been classified as terrorist organizations by Germany, the European Union, the United States and other governments. The trigger was an unprecedented terrorist attack on Israel last October 7, when, according to Israeli sources, Islamist militants killed more than 1,200 people and .
In the months of fighting, Israel has claimed that Hamas has used Gaza’s civilian population as human shields. For example, images of weapons and ammunition found in schools and hospitals were presented as evidence. But Mohammad S. Tells a different reality.
“They [soldiers of the Israeli army IDF] We were blindfolded and our hands tied behind our backs. They took us in their jeep and we sat in a house,” said Mohammad S. “The next day they took us by force and said: either you come with us or we will kill you.” This went on for 15 days, he said. His job was to lead the way in times of danger.
‘They control us through headphones’
“They sent me and someone else on a mission. They put a camera in our hand in addition to the camera on the helmet. And they controlled us through headphones and said: stop here, go there, film this house, stop on this street,” Mohammad S.
If his statements are true, then. According to his account, he had to go into houses before the soldiers could go in, taking risks that Israeli soldiers did not want to face themselves.
Nadav Weiman, director of the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence, can confirm such reports. Since December, he said, soldiers who served in the Gaza war have repeatedly come forward and reported how Palestinian civilians are being used as human shields.
The IDF, he said, is taking Palestinians from the so-called humanitarian zone and bringing them to combat troops in various units in Gaza. Dressed in army uniforms and sometimes with cameras attached to their helmets or chests, Palestinians are sent to search tunnels or homes – and to check for bombs, booby traps or similar devices.
In several places in Gaza, Israeli soldiers have discovered the entrances to the tunnels from which they are operating. Entering it is a big risk for soldiers. This also applies to urban combat in many parts of the enclave.
The NGO receives several reports every week
Breaking the Silence comes from Soldiers every week. For Weiman, this is proof that these are not isolated cases, but that the practice of sending Palestinian civilians to dangerous conditions is widespread – for months, throughout the Gaza Strip, in various units.
Weimann recounts witness accounts: “In one unit, an officer said: ‘You don’t have to think about war crimes, I’m your officer. You don’t have to think, you have to follow orders.’ In another place, they said, ‘Do you prefer to die? We prefer Palestinians to die.
Another, Mohammad A. But he was afraid of death. He also said that soldiers forced him at gunpoint to enter buildings for 15 days, as Mohammad S. He said the soldiers put him in an Israeli uniform so he would be the target, not the Israeli soldiers. He said Hamas fighters would have killed him, or he would have died from Bubi traps or bombs.
Mohammed A. described how he had to go to several houses before the soldiers. Inside, he had to film and open every door, he told German public broadcaster ARD in Tel Aviv. Sometimes, he even had a drone with him when he visited homes, he said.
‘What we see in Gaza is not self-defense, it is a political war’
Mohammad A. Said he was freed by Israeli soldiers in April, but still has nightmares – for example, about the time he discovered a hospital for Israeli soldiers.
“It was horrible. There were bodies everywhere in Nasser Hospital. I can’t believe I made it out of there. I still have nightmares and wake up at night,” he said.
According to reports from Gaza, it is the Palestinians who are used in this way – as is evident from the fact that they are released after some time.
The Israeli army responded to ARD’s inquiry with the standard answer: “IDF guidelines prohibit the use of civilians captured in Gaza in military missions that endanger them. The allegations have been forwarded to the authorities concerned for investigation.”
For Weiman, these charges are not only against international humanitarian law, but also against the moral standards of the Israeli army. “We believe we need an army and we have to defend ourselves,” he said. “But what we’re seeing in Gaza is not self-defense, it’s a political war.” And if a political solution is to be discussed, he added, then, of course, it is crucial to reveal how the IDF operates in Gaza.
Before concluding the interview, Mohammad S. Shows a stripe on his chest. He has worn it since his last mission, when he was once again sent to the front of the troops. The last thing he remembers was being shot before he woke up in the hospital. At least he survived his mission for the Israeli army.
This article was originally written in German.
Post Is Israel’s army using Palestinians as human shields? appeared first German wave.