RAMALLAH: The United States called on Israel to hold accountable after the New York Times published a report on the Israeli occupation forces’ use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in its ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip.
According to the Washington Times, the newspaper reported that at least 11 Israeli military units in five cities in Gaza forced Palestinian civilians to perform tasks such as searching for explosives or exploring tunnels from the inside to protect soldiers from any harm.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the report as ‘deeply disturbing,’ adding, ‘If the facts as stated in the report are correct, they are completely unacceptable.’
Miller added, “There can be absolutely no justification for the army to use Palestinian civilians as human shields, and that this is a violation of international humanitarian law.
The New York Times quoted a 17-year-old boy as saying that soldiers took him from his family and forced him to walk handcuffed in front of them to search
for explosives before releasing him without charging him.
The United States has repeatedly expressed its concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians in its year-long offensive on Gaza.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA