Hamas Does Not Use Palestinians as Human Shields
The Claim
In the Gaza Strip, Hamas uses Palestinian citizens as human shields.
News posted on
Emerging story
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hamas uses civilians as “human shields,” the spokesperson of the Israeli Embassy to the United States said. Elad Strohmayer echoed the accusation in an interview on The Mehdi Hassan Show that Hamas uses the Palestinians as “human shields.” Some American officials emphasized the same claim in Congress, the Toronto Sun, and other social media users, focusing on women and children are being used as human shields against Israeli attacks.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: Misbar's investigation found this claim to be fake. There is no evidence that Hamas uses Palestinian citizens as human shields. Using human shields is a war crime and refers to intentionally “utilizing the presence of a civilian or another protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations.”
However, there is no objective evidence to prove the accusation. Investigative journalists and human rights organizations, including the BBC and Amnesty International, have also refuted the claim. In 2018, IDF snipers murdered 21-year-old Palestinian medic Razan Anajjar, then released a fake video which was edited claiming she was a "human shield" for Hamas. While Israel claims it targets active members of Hamas, it fails to acknowledge that Hamas is not just a military wing but a political party as well. Most of its active members are civilians in typical residential areas with no military activity. According to Hanan Ashrawi, executive committee member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Hamas “belongs to a very pluralistic system." It has many services, offices, and community organizations in Gaza. On May 15th Israel targeted a building that housed media giants Al Jazeera and AP, as well as residential homes under the guise that there were “military interests of the Hamas intelligence.” Israel accused Hamas of running the territory of using journalists as human shields. Another point that will refute the claim is the size of Gaza and its population. Israel has cordoned the Palestinian people to a thin strip of land bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel, with an area size of 360 sq km and a dense population of almost 2 million with nearly 43% under the ages of 14 years. It is unavoidable that combatants will be mixed with civilians. According to tweets by Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN Human Rights Watch, “even after warnings given, Israel must still take all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilian life & property. This includes canceling an attack when apparent that the target is civilian or that the civilian loss would be disproportionate to expected military gain.” Given the findings, we have confirmed that Hamas has not used Palestinians as human shields.
