Congress backs bill targeting Hamas and Hezbollah for using human shields

The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that would target for sanctions Hezbollah and Hamas for using civilians as human shields, guaranteeing that it will become law.

“This critical and timely legislation mandates new sanctions against Hamas, Hezbollah and foreign state agencies that use civilians as human shields or provide support to those doing so,” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in a statement Tuesday after the House passed the bill. The Senate passed the measure in October.

The bill castigates Hezbollah, a terrorist Lebanese militia backed by Iran, and Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip, as “repeated” practitioners of an action that violates international law. It notes reports that Hezbollah is concealing missiles in villages in Lebanon and that Hamas routinely launches missiles at Israel from densely populated areas.

The bill, which had bipartisan backing, now goes to US President Donald Trump for his signature.

Israel last week launched a military operation to find attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah under the border with Israel. Operation Northern Shield has so far uncovered three such tunnels, one of which originated in the Lebanese village of Kafr Kila and another in the village of Ramiyeh.

The army has also said it is aware of the existence of other tunnels, but has yet to fully expose them.

Israel has accused Hamas, which is sworn to destroy the Jewish state, of fighting from within civilian areas and storing munitions under residential buildings.