Key points: Two former US officials told Reuters that US intelligence reviewed last year suggested Israeli officials discussed sending Palestinians into Gaza tunnels thought to be booby-trapped. International law forbids using civilians as human shields, and the allegations join other reports of alleged misuse and abuse of Palestinian detainees. Israel denies systemic wrongdoing and says investigations are underway; UN experts have questioned Israeli officials and will publish a non-binding summary in late November.
Report: US Intel Said Israeli Officials Discussed Using Palestinians as Human Shields in Gaza
Key points: Two former US officials told Reuters that US intelligence reviewed last year suggested Israeli officials discussed sending Palestinians into Gaza tunnels thought to be booby-trapped. International law forbids using civilians as human shields, and the allegations join other reports of alleged misuse and abuse of Palestinian detainees. Israel denies systemic wrongdoing and says investigations are underway; UN experts have questioned Israeli officials and will publish a non-binding summary in late November.
11:01 AM, 11/13/2025Conflict
US intelligence reportedly reviewed discussions about using Palestinians as human shields
Two former US officials told Reuters that, last year, Washington obtained intelligence suggesting some Israeli officials discussed sending Palestinians into Gaza tunnels that Israeli forces believed might be booby-trapped. The material was reportedly shared with the White House and examined by the US intelligence community during the closing weeks of the Biden administration.
Under international humanitarian law, using civilians as human shields during military operations is prohibited. The allegations add to a body of reporting documenting cases in which Palestinians were allegedly used as shields in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The former officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information involves sensitive national security matters, did not specify whether the Palestinians referenced were detainees or free civilians. Reuters was unable to determine whether the Biden administration briefed Israeli authorities on these intelligence findings.
Official responses and investigations
The Israeli military responded that it forbids the use of civilians as human shields and that the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating "suspicions involving Palestinians in military missions."
In May, seven Palestinians who said they had been used as human shields in Gaza and the West Bank gave testimony to an Associated Press report. In June 2024, footage verified by Al Jazeera appeared to show Israeli soldiers tying a wounded Palestinian, identified as Mujahed Azmi, to the front of a military jeep and driving him past ambulances during a raid in Jenin. At the time, the Israeli military said those soldiers violated protocol; a US State Department spokesperson called the video "disturbing" and a clear violation of Israel's rules.
UN scrutiny and allegations of torture
This week, Israeli officials were questioned by United Nations experts on allegations of torture of Palestinian detainees, allegations that have intensified since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Peter Vedel Kessing, rapporteur for the UN committee, said the body had been "deeply appalled" by descriptions in multiple reports suggesting systematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians, including children.
A delegation of 28 Israeli officials met a panel of 10 UN experts on torture in Geneva. When asked whether Israel has a specific law banning torture, the Israeli delegation said it does not; when asked whether Israel applies the anti‑torture agreements it has signed in Gaza and the West Bank, the delegation answered in the negative. The Israeli team denied most allegations and, in some cases, said soldiers had acted in self-defence.
Other reports include a leaked video from the Sde Teiman military prison that appeared to show Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee. In addition, dozens of bodies of Palestinian detainees returned to Gaza since the start of a ceasefire have reportedly shown signs consistent with torture.
The UN Committee Against Torture plans to publish a non-binding summary of its findings on the allegations against Israel at the end of November.
Note: Allegations described in this report are based on Reuters reporting and testimony. Israeli authorities have disputed many of the claims and say investigations are ongoing.