Hamas condemns Israeli army’s use of Gazans as human shields following Haaretz probe

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas issued a strong condemnation Tuesday in response to a recent investigation by Israel’s Haaretz daily which uncovered the Israeli army’s systematic use of Palestinian civilians as human shields during military operations in Gaza.

The report, which detailed how Gazans, including minors and the elderly, were forced to accompany Israeli soldiers while inspecting tunnels and buildings, has sparked outrage among Palestinian leaders.

Hamas leader Izzat al-Rishq released a statement describing the actions revealed in the Haaretz investigation as clear war crimes that necessitate international condemnation and legal pursuit.

“What has been exposed by Haaretz, showing the Israeli occupation forces using Palestinian civilians as human shields while inspecting tunnels and buildings in Gaza, reaffirms that they are committing well-documented war crimes that must be condemned by the entire world,” al-Rishq said.

He urged international organizations and human rights bodies to “expose and denounce these crimes and to pursue and hold accountable the Nazi-like leaders of the occupation.”

Al-Rishq also called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to include these revelations in the ongoing war crimes case against Israel.

The Haaretz investigation adds weight to the international case against Israel for genocide which was initiated by South Africa at the ICJ in December 2023.

Several countries including Türkiye, Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine and Spain have joined the case, seeking accountability for the war crimes and human rights violations committed by Israel against Palestinians.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Since then, an ongoing Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio