human shield

noun

1. a person or group of people located or intentionally placed in a potential line of fire or in an area likely to be attacked.

Word History and Origins

Origin of human shield¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Is it legal, in a conflict situation, to kill a human shield?

From Salon

Israel says it is targeting “terrorist infrastructure sites, Hezbollah command centers, and weapons storage facilities… embedded by Hezbollah adjacent to civilian infrastructure” and “exploiting the civilian population as a human shield.”

From Los Angeles Times

Yahya Sinwar, 61, was said to have spent much of his time hiding in tunnels along with a small team of bodyguards and a "human shield" of hostages seized from Israel.

From BBC

Yahya Sinwar, 61, was said to have spent much of his time hiding in the tunnels under the Strip, along with a cadre of bodyguards and a 'human shield' of hostages seized from Israel.

From BBC

None of the hostages Sinwar was believed to be using as a human shield were present and his small retinue suggests either he was trying to move unnoticed, or had lost many of those protecting him.

From BBC