The Israeli army is systematically using Palestinian civilians as human shields during its operations in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports quoting an investigation by Israeli daily Haaretz.

According to the report, this practice is conducted with the knowledge of senior military officials, including Israel’s army chief Herzi Halevi.

The investigation, which is based on testimonies from Israeli soldiers and commanders, revealed that Palestinian civilians were usually wearing Israeli army uniforms and many of them were in their 20s, Haaretz said.

“Most of them are wearing sneakers, not army boots. And their hands are cuffed behind their backs and their faces are full of fear,” it added.

The report said that “random Palestinians have been used by Israeli army units in the Gaza Strip for one purpose: to serve as human shields for soldiers during operations”.