Focus: Human Rights NGOs Neglect Hamas' Use of Human Shields
NGO Monitor Vol. 5 No. 3
November 9, 2006

NGO Monitor
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[For annotated version: www.ngo-monitor.org/editions/vol5no3/Nov2006.html ]

The Palestinian use of human shields to protect armed gunmen and rocket
launching crews from Israeli responses is a widespread but largely
unreported aspect of this conflict. On November 2, amidst the ongoing
warfare in Gaza, armed Palestinians entered a mosque in Beit Hanoun,
northern Gaza, to escape from IDF units. A standoff developed and on
November 3, Hamas broadcast a radio appeal for women to go to the mosque and
act as human shields for the gunmen. Hundreds of women then went to the
mosque, providing cover for the gunmen to escape. At least two gunmen and
two women acting as human shields were killed. Ismail Haniyeh, the
Palestinian Prime Minister "saluted the women of Palestine ... who led the
protest to break the siege of Beit Hanoun."

The use of human shields contravenes Protocol I (1977) to the Geneva
Convention, article 51 (7), which states that "the parties shall not direct
the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to
attempt to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military
operations."

Neither Human Rights Watch nor Amnesty International has commented on this
abuse of international law, (as of November 8). Other international NGOs
such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Christian Aid
and Oxfam have also failed to comment on this use of human shields.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) which states that its goal is
to "protect human rights and promote the rule of law in accordance with
international standards," did not condemn Hamas' use of human-shields.
Instead, PCHR accused Israel of conducting "state-sponsored terrorism" in
its press release of November 4, called the IDF actions "collective
punishment in violation of article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention" and
condemned the IDF for not using "proportional" force "against Palestinian
resistance activists in civilian neighborhoods." The statement also
misrepresented events of November 3 stating that "a group of about 300
women...organized a demonstration and headed to Beit Hanoun", implying that
it was a spontaneous action not coordinated by Hamas.

Al Mezan, in a press release of November 5, also grossly misrepresented the
incident and did not acknowledge that the people in the mosque were gunmen
or that the women protesters had been coordinated by Hamas. The release
stated that "after the IOF had rounded-up a group of Palestinians . a group
of women walked toward the mosque at . in an attempt to protect the besieged
Palestinians [emphasis added]." Al Mezan went on to condemn Israel for its
"grave breaches to international humanitarian law" and called for
"international intervention."