Israel has initiated a formal probe into allegations that its soldiers employed Palestinian civilians as "human shields" during military operations in Gaza. This development comes more than 500 days into the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, following multiple accusations of such practices.
For the first time, the Israeli military has acknowledged the presence of a "reasonable suspicion" that troops compelled civilians to participate in military maneuvers against their will.
Past reports have suggested that Israeli forces forced civilians to enter potentially rigged buildings and tunnels to mitigate risks for soldiers while endangering Palestinian lives.
“In several cases, the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division opened investigations after reasonable suspicion arose regarding the use of Palestinians for military missions during the operations,” stated the IDF, as reported by CNN.
The IDF did not specify the number of investigations launched or reveal the identities of those under scrutiny. It clarified, “Those investigations are still ongoing, and accordingly, other details cannot be provided at this time.”
While the full extent of this alleged tactic remains unclear, testimonies from both soldiers and civilians indicate its widespread occurrence, particularly in northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah.
Last year, in an interview with CNN, an Israeli soldier admitted to using what is commonly referred to as the “mosquito protocol.” He disclosed that his unit forced a Palestinian man to enter a potentially booby-trapped building ahead of the troops, explaining that if explosives were present, “they (the civilian) will explode and not us.”
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