III 
Calendar No. 616 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 107 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 30, 2014 
Received 
NOVEMBER 18, 2014 
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
DECEMBER 4, 2014 
Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
preamble and an amendment to the title 
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Denouncing the use of civilians as human shields by Hamas 
and other terrorist organizations in violation of inter-
national humanitarian law. 
Whereas the term ‘‘human shields’’ refers to the use of civil-
ians, prisoners of war, or other noncombatants whose 
mere presence is designed to protect combatants and ob-
jects from attack; 
Whereas the use of human shields violates international hu-
manitarian law (also referred to as the Law of War or 
Law of Armed Conflict); 
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Whereas Additional Protocol I, Article 50(1) to the Geneva 
Convention defines ‘‘civilian’’ as, ‘‘[a]ny person who does 
not belong to one of the categories of persons referred to 
in Article 4(A) (1), (2), (3), and (6) of the Third Conven-
tion and in Article 43 of this Protocol. In the case of 
doubt whether a person is a civilian, that person shall be 
considered a civilian.’’; 
Whereas Additional Protocol I, Article 51(7) to the Geneva 
Convention states, ‘‘[T]he presence or movement of the 
civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used 
to render certain points or areas immune from military 
operations, in particular in attempts to shield military ob-
jectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede mili-
tary operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not di-
rect the movement of the civilian population or individual 
civilians in order to attempt to shield military objectives 
from attacks or to shield military operations.’’; 
Whereas since June 15, 2014, there have been over 2,000 
rockets fired by Hamas and other terrorist organizations 
from Gaza into Israel; 
Whereas Hamas has been using civilian populations as 
human shields by placing their missile batteries in dense-
ly populated areas and near schools, hospitals, and 
mosques; 
Whereas Israel drops leaflets, makes announcements, places 
phone calls and sends text messages to the Palestinian 
people in Gaza warning them in advance that an attack 
is imminent, and goes to extraordinary lengths to target 
only terrorist actors; 
Whereas Hamas has urged the residents of Gaza to ignore 
the Israeli warnings and to remain in their houses and 
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has encouraged Palestinians to gather on the roofs of 
their homes to act as human shields; 
Whereas on July 23, 2014, the 46-Member UN Human 
Rights Council passed a resolution to form a commission 
of inquiry over Israel’s operations in Gaza without a sin-
gle mention of the indiscriminate rocket attacks by 
Hamas or the use of human shields, with the United 
States being the lone dissenting vote; 
Whereas public reports have cited the role of Iran and Syria 
in providing material support and training to Hamas and 
other terrorist groups carrying out rocket and mortar at-
tacks from Gaza; 
Whereas throughout the summer of 2006 conflict between the 
State of Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah, 
Hezbollah forces utilized human shields in violation of 
international humanitarian law; 
Whereas Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Islamic State of Iraq and the 
Levant (ISIL) and other foreign terrorist organizations 
typically use innocent civilians as human shields; 
Whereas the United States and Israel have cooperated on 
missile defense projects, including Iron Dome, David’s 
Sling, and the Arrow Anti-Missile System, projects de-
signed to thwart a diverse range of threats, including 
short-range missiles and rockets fired by non-state ac-
tors, such as Hamas; 
Whereas the United States has provided $235,000,000 in fis-
cal year 2014 for Iron Dome research, development, and 
production; 
Whereas, during the most recent rocket attacks from Gaza, 
Iron Dome has successfully intercepted dozens of rockets 
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that were launched against Israeli population centers; 
and 
Whereas 5 million Israelis are currently living under the 
threat of rocket attacks from Gaza: Now, therefore, be it 
Whereas the use of human shields is unconscionable and mor-
ally unacceptable; 
Whereas since June 15, 2014, there have been over 2,000 rock-
ets fired by Hamas and other terrorist organizations from 
Gaza into Israel; 
Whereas Hamas uses civilian populations as human shields by 
placing their missile batteries in densely populated areas 
and near schools, hospitals, and mosques; 
Whereas Israel dropped leaflets, made announcements, placed 
phone calls, and sent text messages to the Palestinian peo-
ple in Gaza warning them in advance that an attack was 
imminent, and went to extraordinary lengths to target 
only terrorist actors and to minimize collateral damage; 
Whereas Hamas urged the residents of Gaza to ignore the 
Israeli warnings and to remain in their houses and en-
couraged Palestinians to gather on the roofs of their homes 
to act as human shields; 
Whereas on July 23, 2014, the 46-Member UN Human Rights 
Council passed a resolution to form a commission of in-
quiry over Israel’s operations in Gaza that completely fails 
to condemn Hamas for its indiscriminate rocket attacks 
and its unconscionable use of human shields, with the 
United States being the lone dissenting vote; 
Whereas public reports have cited the role of Iran and Syria 
in providing material support and training to Hamas and 
other terrorist groups carrying out rocket and mortar at-
tacks from Gaza; 
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Whereas throughout the summer of 2006 conflict between the 
State of Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah, 
Hezbollah forces utilized innocent civilians as human 
shields; 
Whereas al Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Islamic State of Iraq and the 
Levant (ISIL), and other foreign terrorist organizations 
typically use innocent civilians as human shields; 
Whereas the United States and Israel have cooperated on mis-
sile defense projects, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, 
and the Arrow Anti-Missile System, projects designed to 
thwart a diverse range of threats, including short-range 
missiles and rockets fired by non-state actors, such as 
Hamas; 
Whereas the United States provided $460,000,000 in fiscal 
year 2014 for Iron Dome research, development, and pro-
duction; 
Whereas, during the most recent rocket attacks from Gaza, Iron 
Dome successfully intercepted dozens of rockets that were 
launched against Israeli population centers; and 
Whereas 5,000,000 Israelis are currently living under the 
threat of rocket attacks from Gaza: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) strongly condemns the use of innocent civil-
ians as human shields; 
(2) calls on the international community to rec-
ognize and condemn Hamas’ breaches of inter-
national law through the use of human shields; 
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(3) places responsibility for the rocket attacks 
against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organi-
zations, such as Islamic Jihad; 
(4) supports the sovereign right of the Govern-
ment of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens 
from Hamas’ rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts 
and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out 
attacks against Israel; 
(5) expresses condolences to the families of the 
innocent victims on both sides of the conflict; 
(6) supports Palestinian civilians who reject 
Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, de-
siring to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors; 
(7) condemns Hamas’ repeated refusals to ac-
cept a cease-fire with Israel; 
(8) supports efforts to permanently demilitarize 
the Gaza Strip, removing Hamas’s means to target 
Israel, including its use of tunnels, rockets, and 
other means; and 
(9)
condemns
the
United
Nations
Human 
Rights Council’s biased commission of inquiry into 
Israel’s Gaza operations. 
That Congress— 
(1) strongly condemns the use of innocent civil-
ians as human shields; 
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(2) calls on the international community to rec-
ognize and condemn Hamas’ use of human shields; 
(3) places responsibility for the rocket attacks 
against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organi-
zations, such as Palestine Islamic Jihad; 
(4) supports the sovereign right of the Govern-
ment of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens 
from Hamas’ rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts, 
and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out 
attacks against Israel; 
(5) expresses condolences to the families of the 
innocent victims on both sides of the conflict; 
(6) supports Palestinian civilians who reject 
Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, desir-
ing to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors; 
(7) supports efforts to demilitarize the Gaza 
Strip, removing Hamas’s means to target Israel, in-
cluding its use of tunnels, rockets, and other means; 
and 
(8) condemns the United Nations Human Rights 
Council’s biased resolution establishing a commission 
of inquiry into Israel’s Gaza operations. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A concurrent resolu-
tion denouncing the use of civilians as human shields by 
Hamas and other terrorist organizations.’’. 
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Calendar No. 616 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 107 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Denouncing the use of civilians as human shields 
by Hamas and other terrorist organizations in 
violation of international humanitarian law. 
DECEMBER 4, 2014 
Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 
preamble and an amendment to the title 
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