Mujhed Abadi grimly presents a bundle of paracetamol, claiming it to be the sole treatment he has been provided with before sinking his head under his hospital bedding and moaning in distress. He continues to be hospitalised in Jenin, a northern city in the West Bank, following the publicised events of him being bound to the front of a military vehicle by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that caused international fury and allegations of him being utilised as a living shield.
Even after several weeks and numerous surgeries on his battered arm and leg, of which one has lost feeling, the 26-year-old remains in weak condition. His back sustained burns from the vehicular heat that reached a high of 32 degrees on that day.
Abadi was at his uncle’s residence when a commotion outside made him leave the house, subsequently being trapped in one of the recurrent Israeli infestations of the refugee camp in Jenin. The city, under the Palestinian Authority, perceives the camp as a focus of defiance, whereas Israeli officials regard it as a “terrorist activity” hotspot.
Having been shot and left hemorrhaging for several hours, he was tied to the vehicle by the soldiers. As seen in the dashcam footage, the vehicle bypassed two ambulances before Abadi was finally freed.
Abadi mentions being held hostage for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, until the soldiers realised he wasn’t a targeted individual, thus requesting an ambulance to escort him. Certain of his kin were simultaneously detained during the same raid.
Many reactions were triggered by the footage of Abadi tied to the vehicle, made viral on social platforms. Amongst them was a response from Matthew Miller, a US state department spokesperson, who referred to the video as “appalling” and further proclaimed that individuals should in no circumstances be used as living shields. He further urged the IDF to speedily scrutinise the occurrences and hold responsible parties accountable.
Abadi recalls receiving a personal call from the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, checking on his wellbeing and wishing him a quick recovery.
Charges of employing human shields have been recurrently pointed at Hamas by Israeli forces and politicians, blaming them for high civilian casualties. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, as reported by its Hamas-operated health department. It is believed that the majority of these casualties were civilians.
In 2005, a decision by Israel’s highest court deemed it as unlawful for the Israeli military to use Palestinian civilians as human cover during operations. Chief justice Aharon Barak expressed his conviction, stating, “The military shouldn’t take advantage of the populace for their tactical objectives, nor coerce them into complicity”. Despite the ruling by the court, human rights groups noted several instances where the Israeli troops made Palestinian civilians move to possible militant stronghold before them, forced them to handle suspicious explosives, placed them as a shield whilst they shot their weapons or barricaded them in their own residences which the military had adopted as operational bases. Even with the legal judgement, B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, indicated that this misdemeanour persisted.
In defiance of regulations and common operating processes, a statement revealed that the suspect was attached to a vehicle and carried by the military. “The behaviour exhibited by the troops as depicted in the incident’s video footage does not adhere to IDF’s principles. The occurrence is under scrutiny and will be handled appropriately.”
During a concurrent assault in June, the director of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Jenin, Mahmoud Alsadi, disclosed that his organisation’s medics were similarly used as “human shields”. They were positioned near soldiers and instructed to stay still for hours throughout the raids. “They forbade us from departing or assisting individuals” he relayed.
An IDF spokesperson denied the use of Palestinian Red Crescent medics as human shields, saying, “The allegation that Israeli forces utilised medics from the Palestinian Red Crescent as human shields contradicts IDF’s behavioural standards and principles”.
Alsadi opens up how his team of 26, along with volunteers, often fall victim to Israeli onslaughts during their rescue or transportation missions. Consequently, it became a requirement for them to don red flak jackets and helmets branded by the Palestinian Red Crescent during such operations. “Before [October 7th] we had knowledge about managing situations with the Israelis… the best approach towards them. Now it appears that they lack coordination and anyone has the potential to open fire.”
Drawing from the original information, construct another passage without altering the details given. The tone of the text should be British English.
The original information: “He possesses a strong belief that Israel is strategically targeting healthcare facilities, not just in his area but also in Gaza. Their aim, he implies, is hindering access to medical treatments and provoking fatalities. Specifically, he points out cases in Jenin where the inability to access medical services led to avoidable deaths. Even though these medical professionals are collecting evidence of the actions of the Israeli military, they’re cynical about the possibility of any consequences.
The spokesperson for the IDF asserts that their procedures comply with the appropriate international legal norms, including the safeguarding of civilians and medical infrastructures. The IDF acknowledges the necessity of guaranteeing access to medical help and asserts that measures are implemented to ensure such access.
While global attention is concentrated on the massive loss of life and widespread destruction in Gaza, local residents insinuate that a less noticeable form of warfare has been occurring in the occupied West Bank for numerous years. Between January 2020 and June 2024, the UN documented nearly 1,000 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank, 271 of which occurred in Jenin, compared to the 84 Israeli deaths, six of which took place in Jenin.
On the 19th of July, an advisory opinion was issued by the International Court of Justice located in The Hague, declaring Israel’s occupation and annexation of Palestinian territories as illegitimate. According to this, Israel is required to discontinue it at the soonest. However, this principle of international law seems irrelevant in Jenin.
In a conversation in his official capacity, the director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, Wisam Baker, described the region as a ‘battlefield’ and mentioned that the local hospitals have been summoned to assist.
On the 30th January 2024, the Israeli forces enacted violence at Ibn Sina Specialised Hospital, which led to the killing of three men. The security footage revealed Israeli soldiers in decoy attire, including medical robes and women’s apparel. As per the spokesperson of the hospital, one of the deceased had been a resident patient since October and was “immobile”. Both Islamic Jihad and Hamas claimed connections to the two other deceased men.
Abadi’s uncertain future weighs on his mind as he lies in a hospital bed. He believes the Palestinian Authority, tasked with complete governance of Jenin since the Oslo Accord of the 90s, should be responsible for his medical needs. However, employees at the private hospital he’s currently at are now asking him to leave, providing no assurances about his future. He ardently maintains, “I require prolonged medical care.” Kamal Abu Al-Rob, the governor of Jenin under the Palestinian Authority, has yet to issue a response to requests for comments before this article’s publication.
Ali, Abadi’s cousin, communicates that Abadi’s father is actively working to ameliorate the situation. Another cousin, also present in the hospital room, explained that Abadi became unstable upon standing, experiencing difficulty moving one of his legs even when attempting to use a walker. “His physical strength is substantially depleted,” notes Ali. “I had to help him to the bathroom. Attempting to support him, he collapsed onto the floor.”
Abadi was gainfully employed at a vegetable market before this incident occurred. Now, he fears his capacity to work again is called into question. His recourse has been to lodge a case against the Israeli army in an Israeli court, represented by an Israeli attorney. He insists, “I was a victim of an assault, a blameless victim. I had no part in what transpired. I emphatically require justice. Where I was once an able-bodied individual, I am currently disabled.”
His overt concern is that the court proceedings could result in his detention at any of the numerous Israeli military checkpoints and restrictive barriers scattered across the West Bank. “I’m certain my name is now on record everywhere,” he confesses. “Any movement between cities may lead to my arrest. They may resort to coercion to deter me from pursuing my case.”