In a disturbing incident in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces strapped a wounded Palestinian man, Mujahed Azmi, to the hood of a military vehicle during a raid on the city of Jenin, using him as a human shield. The incident was captured in a viral video and has sparked widespread outrage. Azmi's family stated that he was wounded during an arrest raid in Jenin, and when they requested an ambulance, the military refused and instead tied Azmi to the hood of their jeep. The Israeli military later released Azmi and allowed paramedics to transport him to the hospital. The United Nations' special rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory has called this incident 'human shielding in action'. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other organizations have also condemned the use of a human shield by Israeli forces. This incident sheds light on the ongoing issue of human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [28aebc86]
In the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the IDF has announced the killing of Hamas commander Ahmed Siam, who was accused of using 1,000 Gazans as human shields in a hospital. The IDF has responded with airstrikes and ground incursions. According to Gaza's health ministry, over 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza. The conflict has had a devastating impact on civilians, with many lives upended and the Palestinian economy collapsing. International responses have called for more efforts to save Palestinian lives and provide aid. The U.S. has proposed ideas such as longer humanitarian pauses and increasing assistance to Gaza. Turkish President Erdogan suggests increasing the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that the war will continue until Hamas is defeated. The IDF's announcement of the killing of Ahmed Siam highlights the use of civilians as human shields by Hamas. [8faeb3e6]