Mr. Damaj said he protested, but the three soldiers and their commander, assault rifles in hand, forced him to investigate what the Israelis later called an underground combat facility.
The episode, which was corroborated by witnesses, did not take place in Gaza, where Israeli forces have illegally forced Palestinians to carry out dangerous missions to avoid risking the lives of Israeli soldiers in the war there.
They wanted me to scout what was downstairs, to protect them, Mr. Damaj said. Be careful, Mr. Damaj recalled the commander telling him as the soldiers handed him a drone so they could survey the cave.
Residents say Israeli forces are adopting tactics similar to those they are deploying in Gaza, including airstrikes and the use of Palestinians as human shields.
Collection
[
|
...
]