Israeli Forces Used Elderly Gazan as Human Shield Before Executing Him and His Wife

A report by the Hebrew website “HaMakom” has exposed a horrific war crime committed by Israeli occupation soldiers against an elderly Palestinian man and his wife in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza, where they used him as a human shield in a brutal manner before executing both of them.

According to the report, a senior officer in the Israeli Nahal Brigade strapped an explosive belt around the neck of an 80-year-old Palestinian man after detaining him and his wife from their home. The couple had been unable to evacuate due to their frailty, and the officer threatened to detonate the explosives if the man did anything deemed suspicious.

The incident took place in May, during an incursion by the Israeli 99th Division, which included forces from the Nahal and Carmeli Brigades as well as a multi-dimensional unit. As Israeli forces moved from house to house in Al-Zaytoun, they forced the elderly man, who relied on a cane, to act as a human shield.

During their interrogation, the elderly man and his wife told Israeli officers that they were unable to walk or evacuate and had nowhere to go for shelter.

A senior Israeli officer then ordered one of the soldiers to attach the explosive belt around the elderly man’s neck and inform him that if he made a wrong move, the soldier behind him would pull the cord and decapitate him. According to the report, the man was used as a human shield for eight hours, forced to move from house to house while leaning on his cane.

Meanwhile, his wife remained under the watch of Israeli soldiers in their home, unaware of what was happening. She was only told that her husband was undergoing interrogation and would return soon. However, he was forced to enter each house ahead of the Israeli soldiers to check for explosives or resistance fighters.

One Israeli soldier revealed to the website that a commander would hold the detonation cord in his hand as they moved, ensuring that the elderly man could not escape—even though he was physically incapable of running away. The soldier admitted that at any moment, they could have simply pulled the cord and killed him.

After using him as a human shield, Israeli forces ordered the elderly couple to leave the area and move towards southern Gaza. However, no measures were taken to ensure their safety. Just 100 meters from their last location, a second Israeli unit spotted the couple walking and immediately executed them in the middle of the street.

The website also reported testimonies from Israeli soldiers stating that their orders were to shoot any Palestinian seen walking on foot after the evacuation deadline had passed—regardless of whether they were elderly couples over 80 years old.

The report further revealed another war crime committed by Israeli forces before the ceasefire. A young Palestinian man was also used as a human shield by the Nahal Brigade, tied up, and left in a building alongside Israeli soldiers. When a senior officer later entered and saw him, he immediately executed him on the spot, claiming he was unaware of his presence.

These revelations provide further evidence of the systematic and brutal war crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza, reinforcing the urgent need for international accountability and justice.