Many of my colleagues have categorized this as proof of Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields.  I don’t necessarily think this is accurate, although I admit - the nuance in my interpretation is mostly regarding semantics.

There is no question in my mind that Hamas uses populist movement to substantiate its endeavor, but I think the general assessment is a bit innaccurate.

The general use of civilians in populist warfare is not unheard of, certainly in history, and much of the Palestinian populace is complicit in these actions.  More so, it is one thing to say Hamas forces civilians to stand in front of direct fire to protect themselves (the connotation of the human shields claim), and another to say that Palestinian civilians show their solidarity with their fighters by placing themselves in harms way, themselves.

Certainly, either way, this deserves the ire of all countries and people abroad, as the reality is the same either way.  However, in this day and age, when winning the hearts and minds seems to be our paramount objective, both militarily and diplomatically - semantics means everything.