Ex-Hamas operatives confirm terror group uses Gaza civilians as human shields: IDF

Tel Aviv [Israel], January 2 : In a video released by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), former Hamas operatives confirmed that Hamas was using civilians as human shields and in several other ways as cover for their operations, as reported by The Times of Israel.
The IDF released a video on Monday showing new interrogation of Palestinian terror suspects who were captured by troops in the Gaza Strip
Israel has repeatedly said that the Hamas terror group was using civilians as human shields, including by locating operations bases under hospitals, launching rockets from schools and shelters, building tunnel shafts under children's bedrooms, storing weapons in and around schools and mosques, and embedding itself within civilians amid the ongoing war.
Recently, these captured Hamas terrorists have confirmed some of the human shield claims, explaining, for example, that Hamas knows Israel will not target hospitals, medical centres and facilities.
One of the videos was of Zahdy Ali Zahdy Shahin, identified by the military as a former Hamas operative, who told interrogators of the Military Intelligence Directorate's Unit 504 that he felt "we were being used as human shields."
Shahin further described an incident, stating that he was heading from northern Gaza to the Strip's south in the humanitarian corridor set up by Israel when apparent Hamas gunmen pulled him and other civilians aside and brought them to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, The Times of Israel reported.
He further explained that he and other civilians were on the ground floor of the hospital, and once IDF forces reached the medical centre, Hamas operatives came out from tunnels and hid among the sheltering civilians.
He further argued with one of the Hamas operatives and said, "I told him 'Your place isn't up here with the civilians, but below. Why did you come up?'"
"He started to threaten me, saying that when the war ends, he would settle the score," he told the interrogator.
Another detainee, Muhammad Darwish Amara, whom the IDF described as a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said that Hamas fighters took over his home.
Amara said that he was sheltering in a school in northern Gaza and told his son to check their home every couple of days to ensure nobody was breaking in to steal their belongings, as reported by The Times of Israel.
"He entered the apartment, opened the door, and there was a mess. He looks and sees young men sleeping in my apartment," Amara told the Unit 504 interrogator, claiming that they were Hamas fighters.
Additionally, Amara said that he did not approve of Hamas using his home to fight against the IDF.
"We left the apartment and they took control of it. On the upper floor where my son lives... a sniper was sitting by the window, and in the other room, there were several (operatives). He said there were more than 20 people (in the apartment), their weapons thrown on the floor," he added.
Moreover, Amara told the interrogator that a Hamas operative tried to place an explosive device a few metres away from the home of one of his acquaintances.
He said the homeowner saw the operative placing the bomb "and went down and told him, 'How are you placing an explosive by the door'?"
Amara claimed the Hamas operative responded to the man by saying, "If this doesn't suit you, leave; this is none of your business."
"He told the (Hamas operative) 'How is this not my business, these are my children, this is not OK.' And the (Hamas operative) responded, saying, 'I'll place the explosive even if it doesn't suit you; I'll even place it between you and your wife." Amara claimed, adding that the Hamas operative then shot the homeowner in the leg.
Meanwhile, Israel emphasised that its ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza is aimed at destroying its infrastructure amid vows to eliminate the entire terror group, which rules the Strip.
It added that they are targeting all areas where Hamas operates while seeking to minimise civilian casualties, according to The Times of Israel.
The use of human shields is part of Hamas's "core strategy," a senior Israeli military official said.
Reportedly, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claimed that over 20,000 people have been killed in the Strip during the war, an unverified figure that also does not differentiate between combatants and civilians and does not take into account those killed as a consequence of terror groups' own rocket misfires.
Recently, the Israeli forces identified several launches from Lebanon toward the area of Adamit in northern Israel on Monday.
Reportedly, five IDF soldiers were lightly injured as a result. IDF soldiers and aircraft struck terrorist infrastructure, military sites in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating and launch posts in the last few hours, as well as a terrorist cell operating in the area of Houla.
According to the IDF, Hezbollah's ongoing terrorist activity and attacks against Israel violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
However, the IDF will continue to defend its borders from any threat.
According to Israeli assessments, troops have killed some 8,500 terror operatives since the war began.
Moreover, another 1,000 Hamas terrorists were killed in Israel on or in the days after October 7 attack.