U.S. condemns Israeli soldiers' use of injured Palestinians as human shield
The United States reacts to a shocking video involving Israeli soldiers who tied an injured Palestinian to the bonnet of a military jeep and drove away. They reportedly refused to hand him over to medical services. "We saw the video. It was shocking," stated U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, as quoted by Reuters.
The video, which we do not publish due to its graphic nature, was recorded on Saturday. Everything allegedly happened in the city of Jenin in the West Bank, a part of Palestine controlled by Israel. In the short film on social media, we see two military jeeps. Both squeeze between ambulances on a narrow street. The first vehicle stands out, clearly showing an injured man lying on his back on the car's bonnet.
According to Reuters, the man has already been identified. He is a resident of the city of Jenin, Mujahid Azmi. The online service of the "The Guardian" emphasises that Azmi was wounded during an Israeli army raid. When the family asked the IDF to call an ambulance, the soldiers simply tied him to the car and drove away.
The ambulance driver, in an interview with Al-Jazeera, stated that the Israelis refused to hand over the injured man. He added that one of his hands was tied near the windscreen and the other on his stomach. Doctors from Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin confirmed that they treated the injured Palestinian. The man was immediately taken to the operating theatre.
The behaviour of Israeli soldiers "unacceptable"
UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, condemned the incident and accused the IDF of using the injured man as a "human shield." She added that "the state established 76 years ago managed to overturn international law."
Israel stated that its soldiers were attacked and fired upon. An exchange of fire then took place. The authorities consider the man's detainment as a breach of military protocol, and the behaviour seen in the video was deemed inconsistent with their values. It is to be investigated.
Meanwhile, the United States reacted to the video.
We saw the video. It was shocking. Such practice is absolutely unacceptable. People should never be used as human shields - stated U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller as quoted by Reuters. The official also expressed hope for a swift resolution of the matter.
"The Guardian" reports that Jenin is a stronghold of Palestinian militant groups, and the Israeli army routinely conducts raids on the city and the adjacent refugee camp. According to Palestinian officials, since the beginning of the war in October 2023, at least 550 people have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers. During the same period, 14 Israelis lost their lives.
