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Israel has been using Palestinians as human shields ‘for decades’
Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and author of The Palestine Laboratory, has spoken to Al Jazeera about a video that showed an injured Palestinian tied to the front of an Israeli military vehicle in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
He emphasised the historical context of brutality and abuse of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli military, noting that such actions have been ongoing for decades, inspired initially by British tactics in the 1920s and 30s.
Loewenstein criticised the notion of Israel’s “most moral army”, pointing out the impunity and lack of accountability. He also dismissed the feasibility of a two-state solution under the current circumstances.
‘I had hoped to be dead’ – Palestinian man used as a ‘human shield’ by Israeli forces
Al Jazeera has spoken to an injured Palestinian who appeared to be used as a human shield by Israeli forces in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
Mujahed Abadi was strapped to the front of an Israeli military vehicle on Saturday which drove past several ambulances. He says Israeli forces continued to beat him while he was injured.
‘Israeli authorities need to be sanctioned for unlawful killings, abuse’
Antony Loewenstein – the author of The Palestine Laboratory, a book on Israel’s arms and surveillance industry – says Israeli authorities need to be sanctioned and held accountable for the unlawful killings and abuse in the Palestinian territory.
He was commenting after a Palestinian man was strapped to an armoured vehicle and used as a human shield by Israeli soldiers. Israel said it would investigate the incident that has caused outrage.
“There is a long history of Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, indeed in Israel itself, of using Palestinians as human shields,” Loewenstein told Al Jazeera.
“And I think it goes to the heart of what occupation does to a population, it dehumanises them,” he said.
To the Israeli military response that the conduct was “breaches of its values”, Loewenstein said, “There are no values under occupation by definition … Israel has been occupying Palestine for over half a century.”
“There has been less attention on the West Bank since October 7 and the rise of killings by settlers and soldiers. It’s so out of control that any Palestinian, including friends of mine that I speak to, say there is no protection for them.
“They fear, rightly so, soldiers and settlers.”
Israel puts cancer patient due for release in ‘administrative detention’
Prisoner rights groups say Mohammad Khdairat, who has lymphoma, was set to be released today when Israeli authorities placed him under administrative detention – without trial or charge.
The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said the 21-year-old from Thaherya, near Hebron, will remain in detention until November 30, even though an order for his release on bail was issued by an Israeli military court.
“His family went to take him home today but they were shocked by the arbitrary order of detention,” the organisations said. “[This] is a crime with an intent to kill. This has been happening to several sick detainees – especially those with cancer – in a systematic manner.”
Khdairat was arrested on June 1 for alleged incitement. He has not received any treatment while in prison and has not been allowed to take his medication since.
Addressing his father via video conference during a court session last week, Khdairat said: “Dad, I am dying.”
The rights groups said there are at least 30 detainees in Israeli prisons who have cancer.
