AI: Israel used Gazans as human shields

[joeblow]

AI: Israel used Gazans as human shields
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:21:31 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=9 ... =351020202



Amnesty International says Israel used Gaza children as "human shields" during its recent offensive in which over 1,400 people lost their lives.

In a 117-page report on the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip, the London-based rights group accused the regime of war crimes saying Israeli forces inflicted "wanton destruction" in attacks that targeted civilians.

Based on the report, Israeli troops forced Palestinians to stay in one room of their home while turning the rest of the house into a base and sniper position effectively using the families, both adults and children, as human shields and putting them at risk.

"Intentionally using civilians to shield a military objective, often referred to as using 'human shields' is a war crime," Amnesty said.

"Hundreds of civilians were killed in attacks carried out using high-precision weapons, air-delivered bombs and missiles, and tank shells," read the report.

Confirming the death of at least 300 children in the Israeli war on the strip, Amnesty said "women and children were shot at short range when posing no threat to the lives of the Israeli soldiers."

"Willful killings of unarmed civilians are war crimes," the rights group concluded.

In its report, Amnesty also criticized Hamas's rocket attacks on Israeli targets. The Palestinian movement fired rockets at Israeli communities in retaliation to the Israeli non-stop aerial and ground invasion on the Palestinian territory.

The rights group, however, rejected Israeli allegations that Palestinian fighters used civilians as human shields.

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