Human shields stump "Israel"

Source: theaustralian.news.com, 21-11-2006
Jerusalem - THE successful Palestinian use of human shields to foil an "Israeli" airstrike on the Gaza Strip over the weekend has sent "Israeli" tacticians back to the drawing board.
To limit Palestinian civilian casualties, "Israeli" officers have in recent months telephoned houses targeted for air attacks to warn residents to get out. "Israel" says the buildings house caches of rockets, or are used by those who fire the rockets into "Israel".
On Saturday night, the head of a rocket cell in the northern Gaza town of Bait Lahiya, Mohammedweil Baroud, received a warning call. Instead of getting out with his family, however, he summoned neighbours and others who surrounded the building and stood on its roof in the glare of lights. ""Israel"" called off the attack. Baroud is head of the Popular Resistance Committees rocket-firing team in the town.
"We have won," said Abu Mujahed, a spokesman for the PRC. "From now on we will form human chains around every house that is threatened with demolition."
"Israeli" officers said that, in the end, all buildings slated for destruction would be brought down, one way or another.
"If we can`t get to the target by air due to the human shields, we will reach it by ground and the Palestinians will pay a heavy price," said one officer. Another said that phone warnings would continue but that the 30-minute warning time might be cut so as to prevent a crowd assembling.
A senior Hamas official said that since July, "Israel" had destroyed 58 houses in such air attacks: "More than 240 people have been left without a roof."
The demolitions have pressured the Hamas-led Government, which is obliged to find housing for those displaced. Most are living in tents.