Footage reveals Zionist army crimes

March 2, 2007

The young Palestinian man was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt on a cold winter morning as he walked in front of heavily armed soldiers of the Zionist regime on a door-to-door sweep of three apartments in a crowded West Bank neighborhood.

The scene - caught by an Associated Press television news camera - revealed that the Zionist regime's army is still using Palestinian civilians as shield during military operations.

Human rights advocates believe that the practice is a violation of local and international law that places innocent civilians in the line of fire. Violation of human right is a common measure take place by the Zionist regime.

In its initial reaction to the footage, with utmost defiance, the Zionist regime claimed there appeared to be no wrongdoing by its soldiers.

In a statement, however, the regime's army pledged it would "pursue a thorough inquiry" into the case.

The incident occurred Sunday in Nablus, where the army has been conducting its most aggressive invasion throughout the week.

In the AP video, the young Palestinian man is seen leading soldiers to the door of a home. He stands outside as troops move in, then leads the soldiers up some stairs to the apartment's main entrance.

The man enters the home ahead of the soldiers. Gunshots are heard as several soldiers stand guard outside. The man then leaves the home, walks down the stairs and escorts the soldiers around the side of the building, where he said he led soldiers into two more apartments out of view of the cameras.

Later, he is seen on the footage being led down stairs with several Palestinians. He and the other men are all placed into a military vehicle.

In interviews with the AP, the Palestinian man, Sameh Amira, 24, said he was awakened at about 5 AM by soldiers and ordered to go with his family to a neighboring home.

About an hour later, he said he was forced to lead troops into three apartments, including his own. He said he was not allowed to put on warmer clothes.

The Palestinian man said the Zionist regime's forces forced him "to walk in front of them against my will," adding that he always was hit with gunpoint.

Inside his home, he said soldiers in a brutal action opened fire at bedroom closets. "All the time, I was scared, terrified. Anything could happen," he told the AP, pointing to bullet holes in the floor, closet doors and clothing in the closets.

Amira, who said he was released from army custody after several hours, said he is not a member of any Palestinian group.

He also said he was jailed by the Zionist regime's forces for more than three months without any charges.

International law, including the Geneva conventions and Hague regulations, prohibit placing civilians in harm's way during military operations.

In a show move in 2005 the Zionist regime's supreme court barred the use of civilians in 'arrest' operations. The court specifically banned using neighbors to knock on doors of houses with suspected activists.

The Zionist regime's military invasions became an issue in the spring of 2002, when the army carried out a major offensive in the West Bank.

During Zionists' raids, soldiers would sometimes force Palestinian civilians to approach the homes of 'wanted' combatants.

In August 2002, a 19-year-old Palestinian student, Nidal Daraghmeh, was martyred in such an incident in the West Bank town of Tubas.

At the time, troops called Daraghmeh out of his house and forced him to knock at the door of a neighboring building where Palestinian combatants inside thought there were only occupiers outside and opened fire to enemy.

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