Israeli Officer Used 80-Year-Old Palestinian as Human Shield in Gaza Before Killing Him, Report

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Israeli forces forced an 80-year-old Palestinian man to serve as a human shield during the invasion of Gaza’s Zeitoun neighborhood in May 2024. A senior officer from the Israeli Nahal Brigade tied an explosive fuse around the old man’s neck and ordered him to clear homes for eight hours, according to an investigation by Israeli Ha-Makom.

Israeli soldiers found the elderly Palestinian and his wife in their home. The couple explained that they could not evacuate due to health issues and their inability to walk to the nearest humanitarian zone. Instead of assisting them, a senior officer decided to use the man as a human shield.

The officer warned that if the elderly man made a wrong move, a soldier behind him would pull the rope, causing his head to detach from his body. The man, who relied on a walking stick, was then forced to lead Israeli forces through the neighborhood, entering homes before the soldiers followed.

After eight hours, the battalion ordered the elderly couple to leave the area on foot. However, they did not inform a nearby Israeli unit about the evacuation. Just 100 meters away, another battalion spotted the couple and shot them dead in the street.

This case is part of a broader inhumane pattern known in the Israeli army as the “Mosquito Procedure,” in which Israeli forces use Palestinian civilians as human shields in combat zones referring to them as insects of mosquitos. Despite Israel’s military denying the practice, multiple reports and testimonies suggest that it has become routine.

The Israeli military has not acknowledged this specific case, stating that it is “not aware” of the incident. However, previous investigations have shown that similar practices have been followed multiple times during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.