Palestinian villages subject to Israeli mock raids not told they are exercises
Source: theguardian.com
Palestinian civilians are being embroiled in Israeli military training, including mock arrests, raids on private homes and incursions into villages, without being told they are involved in army exercises.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has justified the training exercises following complaints from an Israeli human rights group, Yesh Din, over two separate drills held earlier this year. In the first, a large number of troops in full combat gear spread out in a small Palestinian village for several hours, causing alarm and fear among its population. In the second, about 15 armed soldiers raided the house of a family while they were finishing their evening meal during Ramadan. In neither case were residents told that the military activity was a training exercise.The Palestinians caught up in training drills are not informed in advance that an arrest or raid is an exercise. According to the testimonies of former Israeli soldiers, civilians with no connection with militant activity are usually selected for such exercises. "We used houses, streets, people like cardboard practice targets," said one.
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Read the full article at: theguardian.com
