Disturbing video appears to show a Hamas fighter using a young child as a human shield to transfer weapons into a civilian home in Gaza during Israeli operations in the territory.
The aerial footage, taken from an Israeli drone, was shared by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to show the twisted methods the Palestinian terror group is using to prevent Israeli air strikes.
In the clip, the young boy is seen struggling under the weight of a large rifle, at one point staggering as if about to fall over, as a suspected militant directs him down the street.
The video was reportedly filmed during Israeli operations in central Gaza on Sunday.
“The terrorist exploited the child, using him as a human shield to transfer the weapons, in an attempt to prevent the IDF from striking and thwarting their transfer,” the IDF said in a statement on Sunday.
“Upon identifying the presence of a child, the IDF refrained from carrying out any strikes against the terrorist,” the IDF continued.
The IDF described the incident as another example of the “systematic exploitation of children by terrorist organizations for terrorist purposes, in violation of international law.”
The IDF has maintained that Hamas systematically uses Gaza’s civilian population, particularly children, as human shields, also placing weapons, command hubs, and rocket launchers in close proximity to schools and residential areas, either to deter Israeli strikes or generate international condemnation if civilians are harmed.
Hamas has always denied this, insisting that because Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, military activities naturally occur near populated areas.
Hamas leadership has also said that the legal obligation to protect civilians and children rests on Israel, as the occupying power of the Gaza Strip.
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