Israeli forces used Palestinian civilians as human shields instead of dogs during the Gaza war, according to a senior officer of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Non-Reservist Brigade. He confirmed that at least six times a day, Palestinian civilians were forced into this role.
In a report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Sunday (March 30), the officer, who served in the Israeli army for nine months, shared this information anonymously.
Regular Use as a Military Tactic
The report revealed that Israeli forces regularly used Palestinian civilians as shields as part of their military strategy. Before any military operation, they forced a Palestinian civilian into Gaza homes to check for explosives or Hamas fighters.
According to the officer, this practice was referred to by IDF soldiers as the “Mosquito Protocol.” He first encountered this in December 2023, two months after the Israeli aggression in Gaza began.
Lack of Military Dogs
Normally, military forces use dogs for such operations, but he noted that, despite no shortage of dogs in the army at that time, Palestinian civilians were used instead. Soldiers referred to these civilians as “Shabish.” Each platoon had one “Shabish,” meaning that every brigade had 36 such individuals.
War Crime Under International Law
Using human shields in war is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court classifies it as a war crime.
Following public outrage, the Israeli army launched six investigations last month. However, the officer argued that if the military were truly committed to justice, at least 1,000 investigations would be necessary.
Internal Reactions
He described the practice as so normalized within the military that he felt like he was hallucinating. He questioned whether the army was unaware of what was happening in these operations or if they knowingly ignored it.
Despite repeated reports exposing this inhumane practice, the use of human shields has increased. Senior military officials justified it as necessary for the success of operations.
The anonymous officer suggested that robots or dogs could be used instead of human shields during raids on Gaza homes.
Call for Independent Investigation
He urged the government to form an independent investigation commission to probe these atrocities, stating that putting civilian Palestinian lives at risk without reason is unacceptable.