Occupied Jerusalem, March 13, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- Two Israeli soldiers involved in the Gaza Strip offensive a year ago used a 9-year-old Palestinian boy as a human shield to open packages they believed were boobytrapped with explosives, the Israeli army said on Thursday.

The soldiers, whose names were not released, have been indicted in military court for "unauthorized conduct" and "exceeding their authority in a manner that endangered life or health", the army said.

The boy, whose case was forwarded to the Israel occupation forces by the UN, was unharmed. The soldiers could face a maximum sentence of three years if convicted, an army spokesman said. The criminal charges are believed to be the first related to combat brought against Israeli soldiers for their actions during the 22day Gaza assault.

About 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during the operation, which Israel launched against the 1.5 million Gazans.

Human rights groups and a UN commission have accused Israel's military of committing war crimes and targeting civilians during the operation.

They have called for Israel to appoint an independent inquiry to review the military's conduct, but Israel has said its military court is capable of reviewing the matter internally.

Military officials said they are reviewing about 30 criminal cases.

Last month, the army said it had disciplined two top commanders for permitting shelling near a UN compound where civilians had taken refuge.

- Los Angeles Times