The New York Times has reported testimonies from Israeli soldiers who witnessed or participated in the use of detained Palestinians as human shields in Gaza. A government official also confirmed that the occupation forces are using explosive robots.
According to the New York Times, at least 11 teams composed of Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel have used Palestinians as human shields in five cities across Gaza.
The report reveals that Israeli soldiers forcibly sent detained Palestinian civilians into areas believed to be ambush sites set by Hamas. The soldiers compelled these civilians to explore and photograph tunnel networks where they believed Hamas fighters were hiding, as well as to transport items they suspected were explosives, such as generators and water tanks.
In interviews with the New York Times, seven Israeli soldiers admitted to witnessing or participating in these practices. They stated that the use of detained Palestinian civilians as human shields was a routine and organized practice that occurred with the knowledge of their commanders.
The newspaper also spoke with eight soldiers and Israeli officials aware of this practice, who requested anonymity, regarding the use of Palestinians as human shields in Gaza. The soldiers explained that they began employing this tactic during the current conflict to mitigate risks faced by ground troops.
Explosive Barrels and Robots
Amid the ongoing violations in Gaza, sources have revealed to Al Jazeera that the Israeli army is planting explosive barrels in neighborhoods in Al-Falouja, west of the Jabalia camp, effectively besieging dozens of families, including many women, children, and injured individuals.
Ismail Thawabteh, the Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza, stated on Monday that the Israeli army is using explosive robots and booby-trapped barrels as part of its ethnic cleansing efforts in northern Gaza amidst the ongoing massacre that began on October 7, 2023.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, Thawabteh explained that the moving robots, which are remotely operated, enter between the streets and homes of Palestinians and explode, resulting in significant human and material losses in a brutal manner as part of the ongoing extermination.
On Saturday, a security source told Anadolu that the use of this weapon was first observed during the previous invasion of the Jabalia camp in May when Palestinians discovered an Israeli armored personnel carrier moving between residential homes.
It was noted that Palestinian fighters believed the vehicle was manned and targeted it, resulting in a massive explosion in the area, later found to be a robot carrying explosive barrels.
Thawabteh confirmed that the robots are systematically used to destroy infrastructure and residential areas, causing widespread devastation in the targeted areas and resulting in dozens of casualties.
He pointed out that the occupation does not stop at this, but also resorts to dropping or placing plastic containers similar to those used for storing cleaning materials or bottled water, after booby-trapping them, which explode when civilians approach.
These tactics have increased the death toll in northern Gaza, as the occupation targets civilian gatherings with these booby-trapped containers, which detonate remotely.
Drones
During the ongoing extermination, the Israeli army has intensified the use of drones, including quadcopters, which have been repurposed from surveillance tools to deadly weapons that directly target and execute Palestinians with live ammunition and explosive devices.
The military has deployed these drones, which are now clearly flying over Gaza, like robotic soldiers, executing commands remotely, and using them to hunt down Palestinians and shoot them with sniper-like precision.
In the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, which has been subjected to extermination and ethnic cleansing since October 6, these drones have participated in military operations, tightly enforcing a siege on the entrances by firing live ammunition at anyone attempting to enter or exit the area.
For the eleventh consecutive day, the Israeli army continues its invasion of northern Gaza, amidst a complete siege and starvation that prevents the entry of food, drink, or fuel, under ongoing bloody bombardment.
The army is attempting to displace Palestinians from northern Gaza to the south, with Palestinian accusations against Tel Aviv of seeking to occupy the area and cleanse it of its residents through siege, starvation, and killing.
With U.S. support, Israel has been conducting a campaign of extermination against Gaza for over a year, resulting in more than 140,000 Palestinian casualties and injuries, most of whom are women and children, and over 10,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children and elderly individuals, in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.