human shields

THE USE OF PALESTINIANS AS HUMAN SHIELD

The "Mosquito Protocol" or "Mosquito Procedure" refers to the practice by Israeli armed war belligerents of systematically using Palestinian civilians as human shields during military operations in Gaza, but also in the occupied West Bank.

The term is a colloquial name for the practice of forcing Palestinian civilians to walk ahead of soldiers who use the victim to shield themselves from acts of resistance. This practice has been widely reported by human rights groups, media outlets, and the Israeli veterans' group called Breaking the Silence, which collects testimonies from former Israeli soldiers

"Mosquito Protocol" or "Mosquito Procedure" is dehumanizing as it reflects the view that these Palestinians were considered expendable, akin to "mosquitoes" The view is similar to "We are fighting human animals" from Yoav Gallant in his justification to use starvation as a weapon of war.

International law strictly prohibits the use of civilians as human shields, classifying it as a war crime. This prohibition is a fundamental rule of international humanitarian law (IHL) applicable to all armed conflicts, both international and non-international.

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Credit: photographers, videographers, reporters, and journalists in Gaza, news agencies, and other sources.