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Israeli forces systematically used Palestinian civilians as human shields during military operations in Gaza, forcing them into buildings and tunnels to check for explosives and militants, according to an Associated Press (AP) investigation based on testimonies from Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians.
The dangerous practice became widespread during 19 months of war, with soldiers and former detainees describing systematic coercion that violates international law.
Ayman Abu Hamadan, a 36-year-old Palestinian, said the only time he wasn't bound or blindfolded during his detention was when Israeli soldiers used him as a human shield.
Dressed in army fatigues with a camera fixed to his forehead, Abu Hamadan was forced into houses in the Gaza Strip to ensure they were clear of bombs and gunmen. When one unit finished with him, he was passed to the next.
"They beat me and told me, 'You have no other option; do this or we'll kill you,'" Abu Hamadan told the Associated Press, describing the 2.5 weeks he was held last summer by the Israeli military in northern Gaza.
Abu Hamadan said he was forced for 17 days to search houses and inspect every hole in the ground for tunnels. He spent each night bound in a dark room, only to wake up and repeat the process.
An Israeli officer, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said orders often came from the top, and at times nearly every platoon used a Palestinian to clear locations.
The 26-year-old officer said that by the end of his nine months in Gaza, every infantry unit used a Palestinian to clear houses before entering.
"Once this idea was initiated, it caught on like fire in a field," he said. "People saw how effective and easy it was."
The officer described a 2024 planning meeting where a brigade commander presented to the division commander a slide reading "get a mosquito" and suggested they might "just catch one off the streets."
In response to these allegations, Israel's military said it strictly prohibits using civilians as shields and bans coercing civilians to participate in operations.
"All such orders are routinely emphasized to the forces," the military stated to the Associated Press (AP).
The military said it's investigating several cases alleging that Palestinians were involved in missions but wouldn't provide details about the reach of the practice or any orders from commanding officers.
Breaking the Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers, has collected testimonies about the practice from within the military.
"These are not isolated accounts; they point to a systemic failure and a horrifying moral collapse," said Nadav Weiman, executive director of Breaking the Silence. "Israel rightly condemns Hamas for using civilians as human shields, but our own soldiers describe doing the very same."
Rights groups say Israel has used Palestinians as shields in Gaza and the West Bank for decades. The Supreme Court outlawed the practice in 2005, but groups continued to document violations.
The two Israeli soldiers who spoke to the AP said commanders were aware of the use of human shields and tolerated it, with some giving orders to do so. The practice was referred to as the "mosquito protocol," and Palestinians were called "wasps" and other dehumanizing terms.
The soldiers said they first became aware human shields were being used shortly after the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, and that it became widespread by the middle of 2024.
Orders to "bring a mosquito" often came via radio, they said - shorthand everyone understood.
The Israeli officer wrote two incident reports to the brigade commander detailing the use of human shields. One report documented the accidental killing of a Palestinian troop who didn't realize another unit was using him as a shield and shot him as he ran into a house.
The officer said he knew of at least one other Palestinian who died while being used as a shield—he passed out in a tunnel.
Palestinians also report being used as shields in the West Bank.
Hazar Estity said soldiers took her from her Jenin refugee camp home in November, forcing her to film inside several apartments and clear them before troops entered.
She said she pleaded to return to her 21-month-old son, but soldiers didn't listen. "I was most afraid that they would kill me," she said. "And that I wouldn't see my son again."
An Israeli sergeant, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said his unit tried to refuse to use human shields in mid-2024 but was told they had no choice, with a high-ranking officer saying they shouldn't worry about international humanitarian law.
The sergeant said the troops used a 16-year-old and a 30-year-old for a few days. The boy shook constantly and repeated "Rafah, Rafah"—Gaza's southernmost city, where more than 1 million Palestinians had fled from fighting.
Masoud Abu Saeed said he was used as a shield for two weeks in March 2024 in the southern city of Khan Younis. "This is extremely dangerous," he recounted telling a soldier. "I have children and want to reunite with them."
The 36-year-old said he was forced into houses, buildings, and a hospital to dig up suspected tunnels and clear areas, wearing a first-responder vest for easy identification.
During one operation, he bumped into his brother, used as a shield by another unit. They hugged. "I thought Israel's army had executed him," he said.
The practice of using human shields is prohibited under international law. Military experts say convincing soldiers to operate lawfully when they perceive their enemy using questionable practices presents significant challenges.
The AP investigation interviewed seven Palestinians who described being used as shields in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, along with two members of Israel's military who said they engaged in the practice.
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