US intel reveals Israeli officials discussed the use of human shields in Gaza
U.S. intelligence intercepts from late 2024 captured Israeli officials discussing the use of Palestinians as human shields in Gaza tunnels suspected of containing explosives, raising alarms in the Biden White House about potential war crimes.
Two former U.S. officials, speaking anonymously on sensitive national security matters, confirmed the information was shared with the White House and analyzed by the intelligence community in Biden's final weeks.
The intercepts fueled internal debates on the tactic's prevalence and whether it stemmed from Israeli military directives, amid reports of soldiers sending Palestinians ahead into booby-trapped areas.
International law bans using civilians as shields during combat; the officials did not specify if the Palestinians were prisoners or non-combatants.
It could not be verified if the Biden team confronted Israel on the intelligence.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) specifically stated it "prohibits the use of civilians as human shields or coercing them in any way to participate in military operations," adding that its Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is probing "suspicions involving Palestinians in military missions."
The Israeli government ignored questions about U.S. discussions.
This intelligence joined other late-2024 streams showing Israeli deliberations on Gaza conduct, including warnings from IDF lawyers about evidence supporting war crimes charges.
Former officials noted the data pointed to isolated incidents, not systemic policy, leading U.S. lawyers across agencies to conclude no war crimes occurred, allowing continued arms and intelligence support.
Yet the findings sparked fears of U.S. complicity: if Israel faced war crimes convictions, America could face liability for supplying weapons to the IDF and sharing intel.
Hamas has faced similar accusations of embedding militants in civilian sites like hospitals, which it denies.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages; Israel's response has killed nearly 69,000 Palestinians, per Gaza health officials.