US knew Israeli officials discussed use of human shields in Gaza: Report

Israel has repeatedly been accused of utilizing Palestinians arsenic quality shields successful usurpation of planetary law.

The United States had grounds past twelvemonth that Israeli officials discussed however their soldiers sent Palestinians into tunnels successful Gaza that the Israelis believed were perchance lined with explosives, 2 erstwhile US officials person told the Reuters quality agency.

The accusation was shared with the White House and analysed by the quality assemblage successful the last weeks of erstwhile President Joe Biden’s administration, the officials said.

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International instrumentality prohibits the usage of civilians arsenic shields during subject activity.

Israel’s use of Palestinians arsenic quality shields successful Gaza and the occupied West Bank has been documented connected aggregate occasions, but Wednesday’s Reuters study is simply a uncommon acknowledgement that Washington collected its ain grounds connected the subject.

The officials, who spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon delicate nationalist information information, did not supply details connected whether the Palestinians referenced successful the quality were prisoners oregon civilians.

Reuters could not find whether the Biden medication discussed the quality with the Israeli government.

Responding to the report, the Israeli subject said successful a connection that it “prohibits the usage of civilians arsenic quality shields oregon coercing them successful immoderate mode to enactment successful subject operations”.

It added that the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating “suspicions involving Palestinians successful subject missions”.

In May this year, 7 Palestinians who had been utilized arsenic quality shields successful Gaza, arsenic good arsenic the occupied West Bank, shared testimonies successful a report published by The Associated Press.

In June 2024, video footage verified by Al Jazeera showed Israeli soldiers tied a wounded Palestinian man, Mujahed Azmi, to the beforehand of a subject jeep and drove him past 2 ambulances during a raid connected the metropolis of Jenin, successful the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli subject claimed astatine the clip that the soldiers progressive violated protocol, portion a US State Department spokesperson described reports and video of the incidental arsenic “disturbing” and “a wide violation” of Israel’s “orders and procedures”.

Israel quizzed astatine UN implicit torture allegations

Israel was questioned astatine the United Nations connected Tuesday and Wednesday implicit aggregate reports alleging the torture of Palestinian detainees, successful peculiar since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

“The committee has been profoundly appalled by the statement we person received, successful a ample fig of alternate reports, of what appears to beryllium systematic and wide torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians, including children,” the body’s rapporteur, Peter Vedel Kessing, said.

Twenty-eight Israeli officials appeared successful beforehand of a sheet of 10 UN experts connected torture successful Geneva.

The experts asked the Israeli team: “Does Israel person a instrumentality against torture?”

The reply from the Israeli delegation was no.

“Does Israel use the agreements it has signed against torture successful Gaza and the West Bank?” the question continued, to which the reply was besides no.

The committee confronted Israel with aggregate reports and a agelong database of violations against Palestinians. The Israeli delegation denied astir of them. In immoderate instances, the delegation said, soldiers had acted successful “self-defence”.

Israel has repeatedly been accused of utilizing torture during its two-year warfare connected Gaza.

In 1 instance, a video leaked from its infamous Sde Teiman subject situation appeared to amusement Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian detainee.

In addition, dozens of dormant bodies of Palestinian detainees that person been returned to Gaza since the commencement of a ceasefire person exhibited signs of torture.

The UN Committee Against Torture volition contented a non-binding summary of its findings connected the allegations against Israel astatine the extremity of November.