On October 6, 2005, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that Israel Defense Forces' use of Palestinian civilians as human shields during arrest raids violated international law. Human rights groups had petitioned to halt the practice after a temporary injunction was previously issued in August 2002. The court held that the use of civilians for such a purpose amounted to a "slide toward a severe violation of international law." The issue became a concern during Israeli raids on the West Bank in 2002, in which civilians were made to lead soldiers into homes of suspects and were wounded and killed by crossfire on several occasions.

Israeli coat of arms

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