Having lived through 10 Israeli military operations in Gaza, including three wars and two full-scale ground invasions, I’ve repeatedly heard the same justification from Israel every time the military kills a loved one: “human shields.” That dehumanizing buzzword has always worked like magic to absolve Israel – in its own eyes and that of much of the international community – of any responsibility after it pulls the trigger.
Yet, in all my life, I have never once witnessed or heard of a single incident when Hamas or any other militant group in Gaza forced residents to stay inside or around buildings used by fighters or directed the movement of civilians to shield military operations from attacks. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, the Independent, and many others reached the same conclusion in the very wars Israel used that “human shield” claim incessantly…..more
