Using Palestinian prisoners as human shields is a common practice by Israeli occupation troops

Geneva, June 23 (RHC)-- The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has raised concerns over the use of human shields by the Israeli regime, saying such practices risk being the end of multilateralism.

Albanese made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday, after footage shared online showed an injured Palestinian man strapped to the hood of an Israeli armored vehicle in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, appearing to be used as a human shield.

Albanese said it is “flabbergasting” how an entity born 76 years ago “has managed to turn international law literally on its head.”  Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank tied a wounded Palestinian man to the hood of a military vehicle during a raid in the city of Jenin, appearing to use him as a human shield.

“This risks being the end of multilateralism, which for some influential member states no longer serves any relevant purpose,” she added.  Earlier in the day, videos showed an injured Palestinian man who was visibly injured and in pain tied up to the hood of an Israeli military Jeep as it moved through Jenin.

Screenshot from a video of Israeli soldiers having strapped a Palestinian man to the hood of their Jeep during raid. Photograph: Reuters TV/Reuters

The shocking image raised concerns over the use of human shields, something that is repeated in several ways in the West Bank.  The use of Palestinians as human shields by Israeli regime forces in numerous cases has been well documented by multiple human rights organizations.

A Geneva-based rights group says Israeli forces use Palestinian children as human shields during their search, raid and assault ops.

Israeli regime forces put Palestinian civilians in front of them or otherwise put civilians in the line of fire, and force them to open doors that could be booby-trapped or remove suspicious objects that might be bombs.  They also force them to walk through suspected booby-trapped buildings.

The Zionist forces also often employ the "neighbor procedure" in which Palestinian civilians are forced to attempt to persuade individuals to leave or surrender themselves.

Palestinian shop owner says Israeli forces used him as a human shield during a raid on a town in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.
 
For decades, both Palestinian children as well as adults have been used by the Israeli forces during operations as human shields.   The use of civilians as human shields is one of many war crimes committed by the Israeli regime forces.