Christian Aid claims Israeli troops use Palestinians as human shields

Human rights organizations have received testimonies accusing Israeli soldiers of using civilians as human shields in the West Bank. Christian Aid partner, B'Tselem an Israeli-Jewish human rights organisation, has received information from Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank claiming that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been using Palestinian civilians as human shields. Among these acts, says B'Tselem, were cases of soldiers forcing Palestinian civilians to walk in front of them as protection against gunfire. In some cases, soldiers forced Palestinian civilians to enter houses to check if they were booby-trapped, or to remove suspicious objects from the road. Recently seven human rights organisations submitted a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice calling on it to forbid this practice. In its response to the petition, the State neither confirmed nor denied the existence of such practices, although it did state that it would forbid the use of human shields in IDF actions in the Occupied Territories. The State's response also noted that the IDF is conducting a comprehensive investigation of the complaints on the use of Palestinians as human shields. B'Tselem will continue to gather testimonies and monitor whether the use of human shields by Israeli soldiers does indeed cease, and whether IDF investigations into the matter are satisfactory. source: Christian Aid