United States urged Israel on Wednesday to ensure accountability after The New York Times published a report alleging that the Israeli military used Palestinian civilians as human shields during the Gaza war.
According to the newspaper, at least 11 Israeli military units in five cities in Gaza forced Palestinian civilians to perform tasks such as searching for explosives or inspecting tunnels to protect Israeli soldiers from harm. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller described the report as “deeply troubling.” He added, “If the facts reported are accurate, they are absolutely unacceptable.”
Referring to the Israeli military, Miller said, “There can be no justification whatsoever for using civilians as human shields. That would be a violation not only of international humanitarian law but also of the Israel Defense Forces’ code of conduct.” He acknowledged an investigation by the Israeli military but stated, “Beyond just conducting an investigation, if violations are found, there must be accountability, and steps must be taken to ensure such practices do not happen again.”
The New York Times cited a teenager, who was 17 at the time, saying that Israeli soldiers took him from his family, forced him to walk ahead of them with his hands tied, and search for explosives, before releasing him without charges. The United States has repeatedly expressed concerns about Israel’s treatment of civilians in its ongoing offensive in Gaza over the past year.
However, such statements have rarely been followed by consequences, although President Joe Biden did freeze one arms shipment to Israel worth billions of dollars. Both Israel and the U.S. have repeatedly accused Hamas of endangering civilians in Gaza by using them as human shields.
