Reply #4: From the Guardian; [View All]

[Englander]

Israeli high court bans military use of Palestinians as human shields

Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
Friday October 7, 2005
The Guardian

The Israeli high court yesterday ruled that the army's long-standing practice of using Palestinian civilians as human shields in combat is illegal under international law. It said the military's claim to have amended the procedure to allow civilians to "volunteer" to work with the army was still unacceptable because it was unlikely anyone would freely do so.

"You cannot exploit the civilian population for the army's military needs, and you cannot force them to collaborate," said the Israeli chief justice, Aharon Barak. "Based on this principle, we rule it illegal to use civilians as human shields."

>snip

How they've been deployed

The Israeli army used Palestinian civilians as human shields in a variety of combat situations:

· Forcing them to enter the homes of wanted men to tell them to surrender, or ordering them to enter suspected booby-trapped buildings

· Placing civilians between troops and hostile crowds to discourage stone-throwing or shooting

· Troops standing behind a Palestinian and then firing over the civilian's shoulder during combat

· Palestinian families locked into a room after the army commandeered their homes as military posts, to discourage militants from attacking

· Civilians ordered to pick up suspected bombs on roads

More at;
Guardian Unlimited