PMW Bulletin
June 28, 2015
PMW responds to UN report: Hamas used civilians as human shields during the
2014 Gaza war
Hamas demanded Palestinians stay in their homes despite Israel's warnings
the houses would be bombed
Hamas glorified Martyrdom for Allah and presented death in the war as "a
privilege"
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=15070
Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
p:+972 2 625 4140 e: pmw@palwatch.org
f: +972 2 624 2803 w: www.palwatch.org

In response to the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry report
which cites that the high number of Palestinian civilians killed during the
2014 Gaza war indicates that "possible war crimes" were committed by Israel,
Palestinian Media Watch is re-publicizing the PMW reports released during
the war, documenting that Hamas actively used civilians as human shields.

PMW's documentation explicitly showed that Hamas openly and intentionally
demanded that civilians ignore Israel's warnings prior to bombings of areas
in which there were civilians. Instead, Hamas insisted they endanger their
lives and even welcome death, so that Hamas could use them as human shields
for their fighters and rocket launching positions.

When Israel warned Palestinians who lived near the Israeli border in the
Northern Gaza Strip, an area from which Hamas launched long-range missiles,
to evacuate their homes to areas of safety before Israel would bomb the
launching sites, Hamas told civilians to remain in their homes in spite of
the danger.

"We call on our Palestinian people, particularly the residents of northwest
Gaza, not to obey what is written in the pamphlets distributed by the
Israeli occupation army. We call on them to remain in their homes and
disregard the demands to leave, however serious the threat may be." [Al-Aqsa
TV (Hamas), July 14, 2014]
Click to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=1046&doc_id=12022

Hamas' spokesman at the time, Sami Abu Zuhri, called on Palestinians to
"oppose the Israeli fighter planes with their bodies alone" which he said
had "proven an effective method" against "the occupation." [Al-Aqsa TV
(Hamas), July 8, 2014]
Click to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=111&fld_id=111&doc_id=12020

The spokesman of Hamas' Ministry of Interior also demanded Palestinians stay
in their homes, telling them to ignore Israeli warnings:

"[Israel] has been sending tens of thousands of voice messages to citizens'
phones... asking them to evacuate their homes by a certain time... There is
no reason to be concerned by them or pay attention to them and by no means
should they be heeded." [Hamas Ministry of Interior spokesman's Facebook
page, July 15, 2014]

When Palestinians criticized the great loss of life among civilians, Hamas'
spokesman belittled these "defeatist" Palestinians, suggesting their losses
were nothing compared to Algerian losses in 1945. He also made a telling
slip of the tongue when referring to the population in Gaza: "We are leading
them to death," he said, then quickly corrected himself: "I mean, to
confrontation."

Click to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=1046&fld_id=1046&doc_id=12062

To support the policy of using civilians as human shields, Hamas TV
presented dead civilians as being privileged to have died this way,
achieving Shahada - Martyrdom:

"These people [Gaza civilians killed in war] - their time had come, and they
were martyred. They have gained [Paradise]... Don't be disturbed by these
images... He who is Martyred doesn't feel... His soul has ascended to
Allah." [Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), July 20, 2014]

Click to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=1046&fld_id=1046&doc_id=12116
Warning: Graphic Images

To scare Israelis and possibly boost Palestinian morale, Hamas TV broadcast
statements by two senior Hamas leaders, both emphasizing that Palestinians
"love death for Allah":

Similarly, Hamas TV chose to broadcast a speech by a Kuwaiti Muslim
Brotherhood leader who addressed Gaza civilians, reiterating that Martyrdom
for Allah is "the highest wish":

"We are not afraid of Martyrdom. Not long ago, you cried out loud: 'Death
for Allah is our most exalted wish!' (Muslim Brotherhood slogan, -Ed.) You
received the death you wanted." [Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), Aug. 1, 2014]

Click to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=1046&fld_id=1046&doc_id=12234

Click to see additional PMW reports from the 2014 Gaza war.
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=1045

Whereas Israel tried to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians in the
war, Hamas openly and intentionally endangered them, causing many civilian
deaths among Palestinians.