Before himself and three children were taken to be used as human shields

It is important to note that using Palestinians as human shields is not a new Israeli practice.

We also note the dramatic increase in the recruitment of children and youth as soldiers and the use of civilians as human shields.

Following the war, the UN Human Rights Council condemned Israel's use of Palestinians as human shields.

They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

The Euro Mid Observer for Human Rights also gathered testimonies from Gazans claiming to have been used as human shields.

They took us to one of the rooms and used us as shields, making us stand at the windows as if we were looking outside.

Now, several independent journalists, human rights organizations and the United Nations are accusing Israel of using Palestinian civilians as human shields.

The IDF admitted to using Palestinians as human shields at least 1,200 times during the Second Intifada (2000 2005).

One of Israel's most repeated official claim during the latest war in Gaza was that Hamas was using Palestinian civilians as human shields.

As early as 2002, both international and Israel NGOs reported of Israel's use of Palestinians as human shields.

In 2013, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child accused Israel of continuous use of Palestinian children as human shields and informants . Also see our in depth 2014 coverage on war battered Gaza.

Indeed, the LTTE has been accused of a range of human rights violations, in addition to such killings, including abduction, child conscription, and using civilians as human shields.

Privately owned newspapers, independent radio and television networks, trade unions, churches, professional societies, and other groups within civil society provide a bulwark against despotism.

Israeli Human Rights NGO B'TSelem reported in 2006 of a particular incident in which six civilians, including two minors, were used as human shields in Beit Hanun

Let us not forget that an outright military operation puts the girls at risk, as they can be used as human shields, this has happened before in Baga when insurgents threw mortars from amongst non combatants.

The invasion of such a small and densely populated strip of land where civilians have been systematically used by Hamas as human shields is bound to expose Israel's military to accusations of war crimes.