IDF probes soldiers' use of Palestinian human shields

It's like deja vu all over again.

Israel Defense Forces' criminal investigation division is probing soldiers' use of Palestinians as human shields during raids in the West Bank town of Nablus. The investigation will include the questioning of senior officers, and could have repercussions in the next round of general staff appointments.

The affair began over three months ago, when foreign television crews filmed IDF soldiers forcing Palestinians to search their neighbors' homes for militants, in case the wanted gunmen should open fire. Some two years ago, upon completing a long and drawn out legal debate, the High Court of Justice decided to outlaw the use of Palestinians as human shields, as it endangers their lives and violates their basic human rights. The IDF has since pledged to refrain from doing this, though from time to time there have been recorded incidents of such behavior.

After the last incident was released in the media, the Military Advocate General ordered the military police's criminal investigation division to launch a probe into the incident. The investigation has so far revealed that some of the IDF units operating in the West Bank have continued to use Palestinian human shields despite the IDF's explicit policy against it. Senior officers are to be questioned on suspicions that they knew of these violations and allowed them to continue.

The investigation has begun to radiate onto the upcoming round of appointments in the general staff. In the past, Brigadier General Yair Golan, the commander of the forces in the West Bank, has been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Major General Gadi Shamni as the prime minister's military secretary. However, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi decided that Golan would not be among the candidates for the job. Though it is believed that Ashkenazi didn't really want to appoint Golan to the post in the first place, sources in the IDF believe that the investigation has eliminated Golan's chances of getting the promotion. In an official response, the IDF spokesman told Haaretz that "the appointment has not yet been decided and we don't intend to discuss the matter until a decision is made."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/867486.html