Nasr Abu Sharifa, 48, recounts his terrifying experience as Israeli soldiers forced him to act as a human shield during a raid in Tulkarm camp, highlighting a systematic violation of international law and the moral decay of the Israeli military.
Nasr Abu Sharifa, 48, from Tulkarm camp, endured a bitter and unforgettable experience when Israeli soldiers used him as a human shield.
Since the onset of the Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank camps more than 40 days ago, Israel has been attempting to replicate the scenes of the genocidal war it waged in the Gaza Strip and apply them to the camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams.
Among the most prominent scenes were the mass bombing of homes, the killing of Palestinians in the streets, and the destruction of everything in the path of heavy military vehicles, in addition to the use of civilians as human shields, which clearly violates international law.
“I Can’t Believe I’m Still Alive”
Four weeks ago, the Israeli army stormed the Al-Nadi neighborhood in Tulkarm camp, forcing several families to leave their homes and gathering them in a nearby mosque.
Abu Sharifa was among them and expected he would be arrested, but the Israeli soldiers had different plans.
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He told the Palestine Chronicle that after hours of detaining dozens of residents inside the mosque and confiscating their identity cards and personal belongings, the soldiers allowed the elderly to leave the mosque and exit the camp. They have still been prevented from returning to their homes.
“In the end, I was left alone with them in the mosque, thinking I would be arrested, but the soldiers took me with them and began raiding several houses in the camp, forcing me to walk in front of them,” Abu Sharifa said.
He was forced to open the doors of the houses and enter before the Israeli soldiers, with a drone hovering above his head to ensure he couldn’t escape or retreat.
Six houses were stormed in this way by the occupation soldiers to protect themselves from any potential ambushes by Palestinian fighters inside the camp, showing no concern for Abu Sharifa’s life.
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“I was terrified, as they forced me to open the doors of the houses their way, screaming so that no one would think the person standing at the door was a resident of the camp. I feared I might be killed at any moment, and the drone added to the terror,” he said.
After they finished using him in this way, the soldiers detained him for hours, confiscated a sum of money from him, and then forced him to leave the camp.
“It was an extremely difficult situation, and I still cannot believe I am alive. I imagined how many Palestinians were killed while being used as human shields, and I was about to become one of them.”
No Moral Values
Under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, “utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations” constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts.
Omar Rahhal, Director of the Shams Center for Human Rights, told us that this Israeli policy emerged during the first intifada (1987-1993), when soldiers used children, women, and the elderly as human shields.
According to him, this behavior indicates cowardice, fear, and dread, and is linked to the military doctrine of the Israeli army, which, despite possessing the most advanced weapons, continually appears intimidated and afraid.
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Moreover, the images broadcast by the media prompt the world to question the military doctrine upheld by the Israeli army, particularly when they see images from Jenin months ago, where a young man was tied to the front of a military vehicle, or when soldiers use women as human shields during their raids, as he described.
“Netanyahu frequently claims that the Israeli army is the most moral in the world. What morals is he referring to, and what noble or courageous qualities exist when soldiers use civilians as human shields?” Rahhal wondered.
The use of civilians as human shields goes beyond individual cases; it also includes the occupation of Palestinian homes, turning them into military barracks while forcing families to stay inside, cramming them into specific rooms that may be exposed to resistance fire.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Fayha’ Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She graduated from Birzeit University in 2008 and she has been working as a reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in several online publications. She contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.
