Jenin: Nazi army used a Palestinian girl as a human shield

Israeli forces use Palestinian girl as a human shield in Jenin | Defense  for Children Palestine

Dear John —

Israeli soldiers forced 16-year-old Ahed Mohammad Rida Mereb, 16, to stand in front of an Israeli military vehicle on last week in the Al Hadaf neighborhood of Jenin as Palestinian gunmen shot heavily toward the Israeli forces’ position. Israeli forces ordered Ahed to stand outside the military vehicle for around two hours while they sat inside.

Ahed endured so much stress that she was hospitalized later that day for intense mental stress and a severe lack of oxygen. Let’s be clear: Using children as human shields is explicitly and absolutely prohibited by international law. 

Read the news alert » 

“Bullets were being fired at the military vehicle from all directions,” Ahed told DCIP. “I was trembling and crying and shouting to the soldiers to remove me because the bullets were passing over my head, but one of them ordered me in Arabic through a small window in the military vehicle, ‘Stay where you are and don’t move. You’re a terrorist. Stand in your place until you say goodbye to your brother.’”

Israeli forces later evacuated Ahed’s two-story house then fired rocket-propelled grenades and live ammunition at the house, causing it to catch on fire. 

Since 2000, DCIP has documented at least 26 cases involving Palestinian children being used as human shields by the Israeli army. Only one of those cases led to the conviction of two soldiers for “inappropriate behavior” and “overstepping authority.” Both were demoted in rank and given three-month suspended sentences.

Please share Ahed’s story on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram and call for accountability by forwarding this message to your elected officials. Israeli forces cannot be allowed to intentionally put Palestinian children in grave danger by using them as human shields with impunity.

In solidarity,

DCIP_Staff__headshot_BParker_200x200.png

Ayed Abu Eqtaish
Accountability Program Director
Defense for Children International – Palestine

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *