Hey everyone, this is Abby Martin. You're listening to the audio version of this episode, which you can

watch at YouTube.com slash Empire Files, but you can also listen to our new exclusive podcast,

only at patreon.com slash Empire Files, which makes all our free video content possible.

At the time of this recording, at least 217 people have been killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza.

Sixty-three of them were children, the vast majority non-combatants.

Israel's leveled residential buildings, towers, housing, international media outlets,

all the roads leading to Gaza's trauma hospital,

Doctors Without Borders Hospital, and refugee camps.

In the Al-Shat-D refugee camp massacre on May 15th, they killed seven members of the same family

huddled in their home, and in one single air raid on May 16th, they killed 42

civilians, including 10 children. Every single one of these civilian dead, Israel claims were

human shields. So there's nothing to condemn. It's not their fault. It's the fault of Hamas.

Nothing to answer for, no pressure to stop. No accountability.

We're just supposed to take their word for it. This is repeated without question by corporate media.

For example, when Israel leveled the building housing associated press offices, claiming it was a secret base for Hamas,

they provided no evidence whatsoever, even in secret, to the U.S. State Department.

But CNN, instead of grilling Israel about the claim, instead grilled the Associated Press about turning a blind eye to Hamas. The Human Shield narrative is really the

only defense Israel and the U.S. have for excusing these brutal crimes against humanity.

Here's the thing. Claiming civilians you kill are human shields is not some sort of get out of jail free card.

Why is it up to Israel to determine if their actions are war crimes or not?

I'm going to give you five points that completely evaporate Israel's human shield defense

and explain why it must be something to answer for in an international criminal court.

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