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Last update - 23:23 23/03/2009
'IDF troops used 11-year-old boy as human shield in Gaza'
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza Strip, UN, Israel News 

Israel Defense Forces soldiers used an 11-year-old Palestinian boy as a human shield during the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a group of UN human rights experts said Monday.

IDF troops ordered the boy to walk in front of soldiers being fired on in the Gaza neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa and enter buildings before them, said the UN secretary-general's envoy for protecting children in armed conflict.

Radhika Coomaraswamy said the incident on Jan. 15, after Israeli tanks had rolled into the neighborhood, was a violation of Israeli and international law.
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It was included in a 43-page report published Monday, and was just one of many verified human rights atrocities during the three-week war between Israel and Hamas that ended Jan. 18, she said.

Coomaraswamy accused Israeli soldiers of shooting Palestinian children, bulldozing a home with a woman and child still inside, and shelling a building they had ordered civilians into a day earlier.

Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva said it would respond to the allegations later Monday at a session of the UN Human Rights Council.

There also have been allegations that the militant group Hamas used human shields, but UN human rights experts have yet to verify those, said Coomaraswamy.

"Violations were reported on a daily basis, too numerous to list," said Coomaraswamy.

Coomaraswamy, who visited Gaza and Israel for five days in February, said her list constituted "just a few examples of the hundreds of incidents that have been documented and verified" by UN officials who were in the territory.

She was the only one of the nine UN experts who compiled the report that was allowed into Gaza following the war. The experts covered issues ranging from health and hunger to women's rights and arbitrary executions.

The experts also noted reports that Hamas had committed other abuses. They said Hamas had been unwilling to investigate the allegations.

The report called for Israel to end its blockade of the impoverished territory, where they said more than 90 percent of people are dependent on food aid; allow Palestinians to move between Gaza and the West Bank; and investigate human rights abuses that occurred during the conflict.

Coomaraswamy has been a UN undersecretary-general since April 2006. She formerly headed the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and reported as a UN special investigator on violence against women.

Coomaraswamy's comments formed part of a much longer report from nine UN investigators including specialists on the right to health, to food, to adequate housing and education and on summary executions and violence against women.

All cited violations by Israel - and in some cases by the Hamas Islamic movement that controls Gaza - during the invasion from December 27 until January 17 which Israeli leaders say was launched to stop rocket attacks by Hamas from the territory.

Palestinian officials say 1,434 people in Gaza - 960 of them civilians - were killed in the fighting, a figure Israel contests. The report from the nine gave the total as 1,440, saying of these 431 were children and 114 women.

The overall report was criticized in the 47-nation Council by Israel's ambassador Aharon Leshno Yar, who said it "wilfully ignores and downplays the terrorist and other threats we face," and the use by Hamas of human shields.

Leshno Yar said the 43-page document was part of a pattern of "demonizing Israel" in the Council - where an informal bloc of Islamic and African nations usually backed by Russia, China and Cuba has a built-in majority.

Another report presented to the Council on Monday came from Robert Falk, a U.S. academic and the body's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Falk, whom Israel barred from entry last year after accusing him of bias and prejudice, said Israel had subjected civilians in Gaza to "an inhuman form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm."

His report, in which he called for an independent experts group to probe possible war crimes by Israel and Hamas and also suggested that the UN Security Council set up an ad hoc criminal tribunal, was issued late last week.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood was asked whether the U.S. supports Falk's call for an independent inquiry into possible war crimes in Gaza by both Israel and Hamas.

"We've expressed our concern many times about the special rapporteur's views on dealing with that question, and we've found the rapporteur's views to be anything but fair. We find them to be biased. We've made that very clear," said Wood.‬

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      1.   The title is a load of... 16:58  |  David Nigel Braham 23/03/09
      2.   Hamas vs Israelis 17:10  |  Stem Cell 23/03/09
      3.   Is Hamas using human shields 17:19  |  Anonymous 23/03/09
      4.   IDF troops hide behind children 17:25  |  Matty Groves 23/03/09
      5.   A grid cannot cover the sun 17:27  |  Palestinian 23/03/09
      6.   I`ll believe it when I see it 17:31  |  Anne 23/03/09
      7.   This is hardly news anymore 17:51  |  Tarik 23/03/09
      8.   Violations Too Numerous to List 17:57  |  sfg 23/03/09
      9.   Auto-flagellation 17:59  |  Maurice 23/03/09
      10.   When the Arabs use their children as human shields... 18:01  |  Dan 23/03/09
      11.   Children in the 8 years war! 18:13  |  Al 23/03/09
      12.   Rockets from Gaza have hit childrens playgrounds in Isreal . 18:14  |  Al 23/03/09
      13.   "...a group of UN rights experts said..." 18:16  |  flyingdoc57 23/03/09
      14.   Dan Shame on you 18:39  |  zarrar 23/03/09
      15.   gaza 18:40  |  debra 23/03/09
      16.   It was expected and we are not surprised. 18:40  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/03/09
      17.   great is the truth! 18:41  |  kaled 23/03/09
      18.   How large and tall was that 11 old boy who shielded all of them ? 18:46  |  Gratton 23/03/09
      19.   To Maurice 18:50  |  Arturo 23/03/09
      20.   arabs use their own as shields 18:57  |  why shouldnt israel? 23/03/09
      21.   These are just the VERIFIED cases! 18:57  |  Ari 23/03/09
      22.   Israel allows itself these little pecadillos 18:57  |  Natallie Durson 23/03/09
      23.   The arabs do not use their children 19:00  |  Marilyn 23/03/09
      24.   Where`s the report on Hamas? 19:02  |  James 23/03/09
      25.   Answer to #2 Dan 19:04  |  Marcelo 23/03/09
      26.   Bravo UN, Reuters AND Haaretz 19:08  |  Concerned Citizen 23/03/09
      27.   thier word is as good as gold? 19:11  |  ben 23/03/09
      28.   Reaching for the absurd! 19:12  |  Maurice 23/03/09
      29.   #4 flyingdoc57 "As if we really care." 19:15  |  hala 23/03/09
      30.   Ridiculous 19:17  |  Mark 23/03/09
      31.   Human Shield 19:25  |  Edifice 23/03/09
      32.   Sounds like Anti Zionists enjoyed War so they can write nonsense 19:28  |  Alan SA 23/03/09
      33.   She did not enter Gaza until after the conflict was over 19:30  |  Yacoub 23/03/09
      34.   Gazan Children 19:31  |  fertiledirt 23/03/09
      35.   How Convenient 19:35  |  Yeled 23/03/09
      36.   #Mourice. It is only to you that the IDF is moral army 19:37  |  Miski 23/03/09
      37.   Haaretz Doesn`t LIKE Me 19:38  |  sfg 23/03/09
      38.   Was this from a "reliable Palestinian source"? 19:54  |  Forrest Schmidt 23/03/09
      39.   Yeah Yeah 19:57  |  Joan 23/03/09
      40.   Meo. the `human shield apologist` come in please 20:13  |  Roo 23/03/09
      41.   Unbelievable 20:14  |  Carl 23/03/09
      42.   Correction needed. Sources named, context, documented and date 20:30  |  JO 23/03/09
      43.   Please google Nonie Darwish 20:36  |  Aaron 23/03/09
      44.   Moral army, huh? 20:46  |  Ben 23/03/09
      45.   Yacoub 20:48  |  Jake1948 23/03/09
      46.   someone needs to tell 20:57  |  Joe 23/03/09
      47.   Blaming the victim 20:59  |  Mo 23/03/09
      48.   Human shields standard IDF policy 21:06  |  jim the mechanic 23/03/09
      49.   Arabs use their entire families as shields 21:10  |  Levi 23/03/09
      50.   Child Lucky the Brave IDF Didn`t Shoot Him 21:14  |  gearoid 23/03/09
      51.   Typical UN lies 21:18  |  Gee 23/03/09
      52.   `Human sheild` 21:26  |  Col [Res] Cohen 23/03/09
      53.   Nothing new - done in the territories routinely. 21:28  |  David 23/03/09
      54.   Amazing how many talkbackers 21:33  |  Murray 23/03/09
      55.   Unending list of unproven allegations 21:35  |  x-ray 23/03/09
      56.   Jews - Whats the difference between Haaretz and Qassams? 21:41  |  GZLives 23/03/09
      57.   Always Israel 21:45  |  yehuda 23/03/09
      58.   The Gentlemen of the IDF 21:45  |  6f 23/03/09
      59.   Why didn`t Israel just kill everyone is Gaza? 21:46  |  Nashville Katz 23/03/09
      60.   Israel in denial 22:10  |  rm 23/03/09
      61.   It`s wrong 22:13  |  rm 23/03/09
      62.   Proof? 22:24  |  random 23/03/09
      63.   I`m here Roo you defender of human shields :) 22:28  |  Meo 23/03/09
      64.   human shields 22:46  |  jacov 23/03/09
      65.   Kind of sounds like what Hamas was accused of 22:48  |  Dave Duncan 23/03/09
      66.   : Natallie Durson is 100% rigt 23:07  |  Antonio da Silva 23/03/09
      67.   Random go to youtube,Search: Hamas human shields 23:16  |  Meo 23/03/09
      68.   Scaredy cats. 23:17  |  Maureen Ann 23/03/09
      69.   Due to success 23:19  |  Graeme A 23/03/09
      70.   Most Moral Army In the World 23:25  |  Douglas 23/03/09
      71.   IDF actions 23:37  |  WHG 23/03/09
      72.   Human shields outlawed by court 23:55  |  American Patriot 23/03/09
      73.   answer to Marcelo 25 00:50  |  arik 24/03/09
      74.   The Fabulous Far Fetched Stories of Radhika Coomaraswamy 00:52  |  UsedToPostHere 24/03/09
      75.   Man, they are coming thick and fast now, aren`t they? 00:56  |  Johnboy 24/03/09
      76.   #62 You ask for proof, random? 01:01  |  Johnboy 24/03/09
      77.   UN HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION, HAARETZ READERS WOULD BE VERY... 01:14  |  MOSHEH 24/03/09
      78.   I thought the idea of morality within the IDF 01:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/03/09
      79.   #59 Katz 01:43  |  ballistic 24/03/09
      80.   #57 Yes GZLives, "the truth shall set you free"` 01:45  |  ballistic 24/03/09
      81.   A Group Of UN 02:00  |  Angela 24/03/09
      82.   To Maurice again 02:02  |  Arturo 24/03/09
      83.   #8 - terrorist supporter 02:25  |  sharpinchicago 24/03/09
      84.   "Violations were reported on a daily basis, too numerous to list, 02:25  |  a wandering Jew 24/03/09
      85.   The world is watching 03:01  |  Mike O`Connor 24/03/09
      86.   Stern Gang and Irgun? They`re gone!!!! 03:13  |  MMM 24/03/09
      87.   `IDF troops used 11-year-old boy as human shield in Gaza` 03:19  |  Mendy 24/03/09
      88.   MARYLIN Here is an Arab boasting about using children 03:20  |  PETER SM 24/03/09
      89.   Auto-flagellation 03:22  |  Mendy 24/03/09
      90.   A Time-honored Tradition 03:31  |  Knott Bushman 24/03/09
      91.   UN accuses Israel of harsh response 04:03  |  Paul 24/03/09
      92.   how fortuitous 04:04  |  lola 24/03/09
      93.   Another al-Dura case? 05:00  |  Richard 24/03/09
      94.   despicable act to# 1 05:02  |  joseph 24/03/09
      95.   israel is above the law and there is nothing we could do about it 05:03  |  josh 24/03/09
      96.   to all idf backers 05:14  |  josh 24/03/09
      97.   JohnnyBoy Re Sydney 05:36  |  Angela 24/03/09
      98.   Illogical 05:53  |  Spock 24/03/09
      99.   Hey Natasha, what`s the source of this? How would the UN know? 06:39  |  John Doe 24/03/09
      100.   Moral Terpitude 06:49  |  Deborah 24/03/09
      101.   Very Moral ! 07:42  |  less 24/03/09
      102.   No more holy cow 11:48  |  John 24/03/09
      103.   Meo #63 some schoolboy errors 12:17  |  Roo 24/03/09
      104.   Richard, your BS on al-Dura #84 12:28  |  Roo 24/03/09
      105.   #84 Richard 13:23  |  Johnboy 24/03/09
      106.   Johnboy to Richard #84 14:22  |  Roo 24/03/09
      107.   Moshe #68 14:40  |  Joan 24/03/09
      108.   Moshe #68 14:45  |  Joan 24/03/09
      109.   Human Shields absurdities 14:55  |  AK 24/03/09
      110.   Use of Human Shields banned by Israeli Court 15:40  |  Joe 24/03/09
      111.   Mark New York 01:33  |  Maureen 25/03/09
      112.   Forrest Schmidt 01:39  |  Maureen 25/03/09
      113.   I`d rather have... 04:31  |  Badel 25/03/09
      114.   Re Marilyn 06:30  |  Shlomog 25/03/09
      115.   Re marcelo 06:35  |  Shlomog 25/03/09
      116.   Roo and what about Farfur? 12:34  |  Meo 25/03/09
      117.   Peter`s Video is Damn Frightening 15:51  |  Eli 25/03/09
      118.   what`s so pathetically funny about those who defend the idf 08:15  |  eric 26/03/09
      119.   Israeli support 03:17  |  Christopher 27/03/09
      120.   The answer is easy Christopher. 06:26  |  Levi 27/03/09
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