DCI/PS

	2010/10/23 Israeli army opens investigation into use of 16-year-old girl as human shield [21 October 2010] - On 19 October 2010, the Israeli Military Prosecutor for Operational Matters, Captain Maayan Yaacobi, wrote to Adalah to say that a Military Police investigation has been opened in the case of a 16-year-old girl from Nablus, who reported being used as a human shield by the Israeli army in February 2010. DCI-Palestine and Adalah lodged a joint complaint in the case on 20 September 2010, after an investigation indicated that the 16-year-old girl had been used as a human shield in contravention of international and Israeli domestic law. Since April 2004, DCI-Palestine has documented 15 cases involving Palestinian children being used as human shields by the Israeli army. Fourteen of the 15 cases, occurred after the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled the practice to be illegal in October 2005, suggesting that the army is not effectively implementing the Court's decision.  Table 1 – Child human shield cases documented by DCI-Palestine since 2004 # Name Date of incident Age at incident Nature of incident Action 1 M.B. 15 Apr 04 13 Tied to the bonnet of a military jeep for four hours during clashes. - October 2005 Israeli High Court rules that the use of civilians as human shields is illegal   2 A.E. 26 Feb 07 15 Forced at gunpoint to walk in front of soldiers during clashes. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 3 J.D. 28 Feb 07 11 Forced at gunpoint to walk in front of soldiers and enter an abandoned house in search of combatants. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 4 I.M. 11 Apr 07 14 Forced to sit for 15 minutes on the bonnet of a jeep during clashes. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 5 O.G. 11 Apr 07 15 Forced to sit for 10 minutes on the bonnet of a jeep during clashes. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 6 R.N. 11 Jul 07 14 Wounded whilst being forced to evacuate a house. - 7 A.S. 04 Jan 09 14 Detained for 10 days and forced to search houses during war in Gaza. - 8 A.A. 05 Jan 09 15 Detained close to military operations for four days during war in Gaza. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 9 A.A. 05 Jan 09 16 Detained close to military operations for four days during war in Gaza. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 10 N.A. 05 Jan 09 17 Detained close to military operations for four days during war in Gaza. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 11 K.A. 05 Jan 09 15 Detained close to military operations for four days during war in Gaza. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 12 H.A. 05 Jan 09 12 Detained close to military operations for four days during war in Gaza. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – no action. 13 Majed R. 15 Jan 09 9 Forced at gunpoint to search bags thought to contain explosives during war in Gaza. Complaint filed on 28 April 2009 – two soldiers convicted on 3 October 2010. 14 D.A. 18 Feb 10 16 Forced at gunpoint to search for a weapon. Complaint filed on 20 September 2010. Investigation opened on 19 October 2010. 15 S.A. 16 Apr 10 14 Forced at gunpoint to walk in front of soldiers during clashes. Complaint submitted to the UN on 3 August 2010.   DCI-Palestine and Adalah reiterate that full and impartial investigations meeting international standards must be carried out in all cases involving the use of children as human shields, and that the Israeli army must be given adequate training and supervision to ensure compliance with the 2005 ruling of the Israeli High Court of Justice.

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