Military operations in Gaza conducted by Israel may have involved the coercion of civilians, prompting an investigation into these allegations.
Rewritten Article:
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged on Tuesday night that they're probing claims of Israeli soldiers employing Palestinians as human shields during military operations in Gaza. This marks the first instance where the military has conceded having "reasonable grounds" to suspect soldiers coerced civilians into participating in military activities.
CNN has previously reported that Israeli soldiers compelled civilians in Gaza to delve into potentially hazardous houses and tunnels with booby traps to safeguard their troops.
The IDF revealed that in several instances, investigations were launched after there was a legitimate suspicion of Palestinians being utilized for military operations during the operations. However, they declined to confirm the number of such investigations or reveal the identities of those under investigation.
Last year, an Israeli soldier confessed to CNN that his unit had compelled a Palestinian man to enter a building before troops entered, fearing booby traps. This tactic supposedly had a name within the Israeli military – the "mosquito protocol."
The extent to which this practice is prevalent within the Israeli military is unclear. However, the statements made by a soldier and five Palestinians last year point towards its prevalence across the territory – in Gaza City, Khan Younis, Rafah, and northern Gaza.
One of the civilians, Mohammad Saad, age 20, informed CNN that IDF soldiers had detained him in Rafah. He stated, "They would ask us to do things like, 'move this carpet,' saying they were searching for tunnels. 'Film under the stairs,' they would say. If they found something, they would tell us to bring it outside. For instance, they would ask us to move belongings from the house, clean, move the sofa, open the fridge, and open the cupboard."
At the time of CNN's report in October, the IDF stated that military protocols unequivocally prohibit the utilization of detained Gaza civilians for military operations.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond and Abeer Salman contributed to this report.
- The IDF, while investigating claims of soldiers using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, is reportedly looking into the "mosquito protocol" tactic, a practice that is alleged to be prevalent across Gaza territory.
- In light of the "mosquito protocol" allegations, it is reasonable to expect that the IDF will bring to light the reasons behind this practice if there is substantial evidence to support it.
- If the IDF fails to elaborate on the identities of those under investigation and the number of such investigations, it may raise questions about their commitment to transparency in investigating and addressing such allegations in the Middle East region, particularly concerning the Palestinians in Gaza.
