Anonymous soldier claims IDF uses human shields in Gaza - report

The IDF has allegedly used Palestinians to enter booby-trapped buildings and houses in Gaza, an anonymous soldier claimed in a CNN interview last Thursday.

The soldier, who was connected to CNN via left-wing NGO Breaking the Silence, told CNN that his unit held two Palestinian prisoners and reportedly used them as human shields to enter and probe potentially dangerous places in Gaza. The soldier also claimed that this use of Palestinians was common among Israeli units operating in the Gaza Strip.

The scale of this practice, according to CNN's report, is not explicitly known, but the news organization cited the soldier and five former Palestinian detainees that the practice was commonly used in areas such as northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah. 

CNN reached this IDF soldier through the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence, an organization that grants a platform for soldiers to give anonymous testimonies regarding alleged abuses or transgressions witnessed during their military service, with the aim of "bringing an end to the occupation."

The soldier who was cited by CNN said that in the spring of 2024, an intelligence officer showed up to his unit in Gaza with two Palestinian detainees, a 16-year-old and a 20-year-old, and were told to use these Palestinians as human shields prior to entering buildings. According to CNN's report, the intelligence officer told soldiers that the two Palestinians were linked to Hamas. 

The soldier allegedly questioned the practice, but his commander told him, "It's better that the Palestinian will explode and not our soldiers," CNN noted. 

The soldier told CNN that he and other soldiers serving with him refused to carry out the practice and confronted their senior commander about it. Their commander responded by telling them not to "think about international law" and that soldiers' lives are "more important." However, the commander eventually released the two Palestinians. 

IDF responds to CNN

The IDF responded to CNN regarding the allegations, stating, "The IDF's directives and guidelines strictly prohibit the use of detained Gaza civilians for military operations. The relevant protocols and instructions are routinely clarified to soldiers in the field during the conflict."

The practice of using civilians to shield military activity is forbidden under international law, and Israel's High Court banned this practice in 2005.