Investigation reveals details of killing of elderly Palestinian couple used as human shields

An investigation by Euro-Med Monitor has revealed further details of the killing of an elderly Palestinian couple who were forced to wear explosives and act as human shields by Israeli forces during a military incursion on Gaza City’s Zeytoun neighbourhood in May 2023. 

Israeli news site HaMakom previously reported that Israeli forces strapped explosives around the neck of an elderly Palestinian man and used him as a human shield before killing him and his wife.

According to the report, the man, who used a walking stick, was forced to scout buildings in the neighbourhood to ensure they were safe for around eight hours.

An Israeli soldier told HaMakom that after the explosives were placed around the Palestinian man's neck, he was told "that if he does something wrong or not the way we want, the person behind him will pull the rope and his head will detach from the body".

While the original report did not name the victims, their ages and the date, location, and circumstances of their killing align with the Euro-Med Monitor investigation.

Read more: Investigation reveals details of killing of elderly Palestinian couple used as human shields