Natan Odenheimer

They're too traumatized and they're confused from all the smell of the explosives around. So they lose their orientation. So whenever sniffer dogs, robots or drones weren't good enough to probe the tunnels or walk ahead of forces into homes, they started using Palestinian prisoners as human shields for dangerous tasks.

They're too traumatized and they're confused from all the smell of the explosives around. So they lose their orientation. So whenever sniffer dogs, robots or drones weren't good enough to probe the tunnels or walk ahead of forces into homes, they started using Palestinian prisoners as human shields for dangerous tasks.

Yes. So a reporter in Gaza, Bilal Shabir, spoke with three Palestinians who spoke on the record about their experience as being used as human shields. One of them was a pharmacist named Bashir El Dalu. He's a 43-year-old father of four from northern Gaza. In the beginning of the war, he and his family fled south.

Yes. So a reporter in Gaza, Bilal Shabir, spoke with three Palestinians who spoke on the record about their experience as being used as human shields. One of them was a pharmacist named Bashir El Dalu. He's a 43-year-old father of four from northern Gaza. In the beginning of the war, he and his family fled south.

And then around mid-November, he decided that he wants to make a risky trip back to his home to get some essentials, some things that his family really needed. At that point, the Israeli military considered any Palestinian walking around these unpopulated areas as a potential Hamas operative.

And then around mid-November, he decided that he wants to make a risky trip back to his home to get some essentials, some things that his family really needed. At that point, the Israeli military considered any Palestinian walking around these unpopulated areas as a potential Hamas operative.

Right. So after Bashir got to his home, the Israeli military detained him. And by his account, they ordered him at gunpoint to undress, and they blindfolded him. They took him barefoot and almost completely naked to a nearby yard of a multi-story building.

Right. So after Bashir got to his home, the Israeli military detained him. And by his account, they ordered him at gunpoint to undress, and they blindfolded him. They took him barefoot and almost completely naked to a nearby yard of a multi-story building.

And then they took off the blindfold, made sure that his hands are tied in front of him and not in the back so he'd be able to move objects, and told him to go ahead of forces and probe that area. And this yard, according to his account, was partly ruined. There were glass all over the floor. And as he was walking, he was injured by this glass.

And then they took off the blindfold, made sure that his hands are tied in front of him and not in the back so he'd be able to move objects, and told him to go ahead of forces and probe that area. And this yard, according to his account, was partly ruined. There were glass all over the floor. And as he was walking, he was injured by this glass.

Yes, exactly. His feet were bare. And the soldiers were staying behind, giving him directions from a megaphone. So they ordered him to move around the yard, looking into different places, places they thought were potentially booby-trapped or an entrance to a tunnel. And then there was noise coming out from around an electricity generator.

Yes, exactly. His feet were bare. And the soldiers were staying behind, giving him directions from a megaphone. So they ordered him to move around the yard, looking into different places, places they thought were potentially booby-trapped or an entrance to a tunnel. And then there was noise coming out from around an electricity generator.

And the soldiers got really afraid and started shooting in that direction. But it turned out that it was a kithid that made all this noise. And he said that some of the soldiers laughed in relief.

And the soldiers got really afraid and started shooting in that direction. But it turned out that it was a kithid that made all this noise. And he said that some of the soldiers laughed in relief.

Was he hurt? He wasn't hurt from the shooting, but he was injured from walking barefoot on the glass. So they used him as a human shield in several instances, but eventually they decided to take him into Israel and send him to an Israeli detention center.

Was he hurt? He wasn't hurt from the shooting, but he was injured from walking barefoot on the glass. So they used him as a human shield in several instances, but eventually they decided to take him into Israel and send him to an Israeli detention center.

And I think that one of the things that really sent chills into my arms when I heard this story is that he said that he was excited, happy, and relieved to get there, knowing that he's outside of this dangerous zone.

And I think that one of the things that really sent chills into my arms when I heard this story is that he said that he was excited, happy, and relieved to get there, knowing that he's outside of this dangerous zone.

Yeah. And I think that it's also important to mention that he was treated there for his injuries, but also released later on, sent back to Gaza, which tells us that the Israeli intelligence did not think that he was involved with any militant group.

Yeah. And I think that it's also important to mention that he was treated there for his injuries, but also released later on, sent back to Gaza, which tells us that the Israeli intelligence did not think that he was involved with any militant group.