Madrid. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been using Palestinian civilians to search tunnels and buildings during their operations in the Gaza Strip. “It is better for them to blow up than the soldiers,” was the justification the Israeli military received from their top brass.
According to the Israeli newspaper HaaretzThese practices were carried out repeatedly, with the knowledge of senior IDF commanders and against Palestinian civilians who were specifically detained for this purpose.
“They said that our lives are more important than theirs, that in the end it is better for our soldiers to be alive than to be blown up by an explosive device,” said some of the soldiers who were able to be interviewed by the aforementioned Israeli daily, one of the largest circulation newspapers.
The IDF, for its part, said that such practices are prohibited and that this information is already being investigated.
Since Israel decided to respond to Hamas’s attacks on October 7, 2023, more than 39,900 people have died in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire remain at a standstill. This week, the Palestinian group announced that it would not attend the next round of talks following the “massacre” against a school that left nearly a hundred dead.
In a statement, Hamas called on mediators to urge Israel to comply with what was agreed on July 2, based on the proposal of US President Joe Biden. The new demands, it warned, would only grant more time for the attacks on the Gaza Strip to continue.
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– 2024-08-19 08:55:46