Shocking accounts have emerged of Palestinian civilians being used as human shields by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank, a practice rights groups condemn as a systematic violation of international law. Despite a 2005 Israeli Supreme Court ban, testimonies gathered by The Associated Press reveal that such tactics remain widespread.  

Among those who spoke out was Ayman Abu Hamdan, 36, who described being forced at gunpoint to search homes in Gaza while wearing an Israeli military uniform fitted with a camera. "They beat me and said, ‘You have no choice—do it or die,’" he recounted. Over 17 days, he was moved between units, made to clear buildings while soldiers took cover behind him.  

An unnamed Israeli officer admitted that using Palestinians as shields had become routine, claiming it reduced military casualties and saved ammunition. He recalled one incident where a civilian was killed after being sent into a tunnel unconscious. Another soldier revealed that objections to the practice were dismissed by a senior officer who shrugged off concerns over international law.  

In Khan Younis, Massoud Abu Saeed was exploited for two weeks, ordered to locate tunnels despite pleading that he was a father desperate to return to his children. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Hazar Esteiti, a mother from Jenin refugee camp, was forced to photograph apartments before soldiers raided them. "I begged them to let me go back to my baby," she said. "I was terrified they’d kill me."  

Rights groups have condemned the systemic nature of these abuses. Nadav Weiman of "Breaking the Silence", an organisation of ex-Israeli soldiers, stated, "These testimonies expose a moral collapse. While Israel accuses Hamas of using human shields, our own forces are doing the same."  

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported that over 50 of its staff—including teachers and medics—were detained, beaten, and used as shields by Israeli troops. Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described their treatment as "horrific," underscoring the grim reality faced by civilians under occupation.