IDF video: Child allegedly used as ‘human shield’ to move weapons in Gaza

According to the Israeli military, its troops operating in central Gaza identified a militant using the child to move weapons into a civilian home.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released aerial footage that it says shows a Hamas terrorist using a young child to transport weapons into a civilian home in central Gaza, alleging that the child was being used as a human shield to deter an Israeli strike.

The 28-second video, released by the IDF on September 27, appears to show a person walking through a residential area before approaching a civilian property. One of the figures appears to be a young boy carrying what the Israeli military identified as a weapon, while a suspected militant walks nearby.

The identities of those shown, their intentions and the nature of what they were carrying could not be independently verified.

What does the IDF video show?

According to the Israeli military, its troops operating in central Gaza identified a militant using the child to move weapons into a civilian home.

The footage appears to show the child struggling under the weight of a large firearm. At one point, the boy appears to stagger while carrying the weapon as the other figure directs him along the street. The pair eventually approach a walled residential property.

The IDF said the weapons were being moved into the civilian home as part of preparations for attacks against Israeli troops operating near the so-called Yellow Line and Israeli civilians.

IDF says it refrained from striking

The Israeli military said the presence of the child affected its decision to use force.

“Upon identifying the presence of a child, the IDF refrained from carrying out any strikes against the terrorist,” the military said in its statement accompanying the video.

The IDF described the incident as an example of what it calls the systematic exploitation of children by armed groups in Gaza.

It alleged that the child was deliberately placed in the weapons-transfer operation because his presence could prevent Israeli forces from attacking the militant or the weapons.

IDF's wider human-shields allegation

The incident comes amid longstanding Israeli allegations that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups operate from within densely populated civilian areas in Gaza.

The IDF has repeatedly accused Hamas of positioning military infrastructure and weapons near civilian homes and other civilian locations. In this case, however, the specific claim is that a child was actively used to transport weapons into a civilian residence.

The allegation is particularly significant because international humanitarian law prohibits parties to a conflict from deliberately using civilians to shield military objectives or operations. At the same time, the presence of civilians does not remove an attacking force's obligations to protect civilians and take precautions during military operations.