WEST BANK: A Palestinian shop owner, Baha Abu Ras, has accused Israeli troops of using him as a human shield during a raid on the town of Dura in the occupied West Bank.
Mobile phone footage captured the moment Abu Ras was led up a street by an Israeli soldier, who guided him with one hand while holding a rifle on his shoulder. Two soldiers cautiously followed behind with their rifles raised.
Abu Ras, taken from his mobile phone shop during the raid on Monday, claimed that the soldier told him he would be used as a human shield to prevent stone-throwing by young people. The incident occurred during a larger operation in which two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces.
The Israeli military has not provided an immediate comment on the specific incident. In an earlier statement, the military mentioned using live fire to disperse around 100 people who had allegedly thrown stones during the raid.
The use of human shields is widely condemned under international law. Israel has previously accused groups like Hamas of employing similar tactics, though these allegations have been denied by the groups in question.
