Israeli forces are systematically using Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank as human shields, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP).
Several Palestinians and Israeli soldiers told the AP that Israeli troops force Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza, using them to check for explosives or militants in buildings and tunnels.
Shocking Testimonies
In its report, the AP spoke with seven Palestinians, who said they were used as human shields in Gaza and the West Bank, and two Israeli soldiers, who said that the practice has become widespread since the eruption of the Gaza war, following the October 7 attack on Israel in 2023.
Ayman Abu Hamadan, a 36-year-old Palestinian whom the Israeli forces held for 2 and a half weeks in August 2024 and used as a shield in northern Gaza, recalled when he was forced into houses, dressed in army uniform with a camera fixed to his forehead. His mission was to inspect for tunnels, explosives and gunmen.
“They beat me and told me: ‘You have no other option; do this or we’ll kill you,” he told the AP. Abu Hamadan added that Israeli soldiers waited behind him until they made sure the buildings were clear. Then, they damaged or destroyed them. After he finished his mission, they sent him to a dark room to spend the night until the next morning to do it again.
Mosquito Protocol
One Israeli officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that orders often came from top commanders and that most Israeli platoons use Palestinians to clear locations. Moreover, two Israeli soldiers who spoke to the AP – and a third one who spoke to Breaking the Silence organization – said that commanders knew about the use of Palestinians as human shields, with some of them giving orders to do so.
The practice was dubbed as “mosquito protocol” and Palestinians involved in this strategy was referred to as “wasps” and other humiliating terms, the soldiers said. They also said that this practice has become widespread by mid-2024. The officer who spoke to AP said they received orders to “bring a mosquito” via radio and acted upon the orders of the commanding officers.
“Once this idea was initiated, it caught on like fire in a field,” the officer said, adding that by the end of his 9-months service in Gaza, every Israeli infantry unit used a Palestinian to clear houses before entering.
Israeli Military Response
The Israeli military denied the allegations, stressing that it prohibits using civilians as human shields. It also added that it bans forcing civilians to participate in such operations, according to a statement to AP. Moreover, the Israeli military said it was investigating numerous cases claiming the use of Palestinians in operations as human shields.
In October 2024, the CNN reported that Israeli soldiers were forcing Palestinian civilians to inspect dangerous places in Gaza. The report drew on the testimony of an Israeli soldier and 5 civilians. It showed that this practice was prevalent across northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah.
In response, the Israeli military said in March 2025 that it was conducting an investigation on the allegations of using Palestinians as human shields, acknowledging for the first time that there was “reasonable suspicion” to believe soldiers forced civilians to participate in military operations.
“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,” the Israeli military said in a statement at the time.
Moral Collapse
Right groups have accused Israel of using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza and the West Bank for decades. Although the Israeli Supreme Court prohibited the practice in 2005, right groups continued to report violations. The recent allegations raised the alarm across right groups, which warned that this practice has become a standard procedure during the war in Gaza.
In the light of this, the Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, Nadav Weiman, said: “These are not isolated accounts; they point to a systemic failure and a horrifying moral collapse.”
Breaking the Silence is a non-governmental Israeli organization of veteran Israeli soldiers who served in the Occupied Territories since 2000, aiming to “break the silence” on Israel’s military activities.
