'Mosquito Protocol'; when IOF use Gaza detainees as human shields: CNN
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An Israeli soldier tells CNN that Israeli military units in Gaza use Palestinian detainees with the explicit intent of using them as human shields to navigate hazardous areas.
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A view of the rubble of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Jabalia, on Gaza strip, on October 11, 2023. (AP)
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) forced Palestinians into potentially booby-trapped houses and tunnels in Gaza, using them to avoid endangering their troops, CNN reported on Thursday, citing an Israeli soldier and five former Palestinian detainees who said they were subjected to this practice.
The soldier revealed that his unit detained two Palestinians with the explicit intent of using them as human shields to navigate hazardous areas, emphasizing that this practice is common among Israeli units in Gaza.
“We told them to enter the building before us,” he told CNN, adding that “if there are any booby traps, they will explode and not us.”
This method is referred to as the “Mosquito Protocol”, according to the report.
CNN mentioned that the full extent of the practice by the IOF is not well known. Nonetheless, the testimonies from the soldier and five civilians indicate that it was widespread throughout the besieged Strip, particularly in northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah.
The Mosquito Protocol
CNN's interviews with the five Palestinians verify the Israeli soldier's account, with each of them recounting being detained by Israeli forces and compelled to enter potentially hazardous areas ahead of the forces.
Earlier this year, Israeli airstrikes forced 20-year-old Mohammed Saad to flee his home in Jabalia, northern Gaza. While staying in a temporary shelter near Khan Younis, Saad recounted how he was detained by the Israeli forces near Rafah, while attempting to secure food aid for himself and his younger siblings.
He said, “The army took us in a jeep, and we found ourselves inside Rafah in a military camp,” adding that he was held there for 47 days, and during that time was used for reconnaissance missions to avoid putting Israeli soldiers at risk.
"They dressed us in military uniforms, put a camera on us, and gave us a metal cutter,” Saad mentioned.
“They would ask us to do things like, ‘move this carpet,’ saying they were looking for tunnels. ‘Film under the stairs,’ they would say. If they found something, they would tell us to bring it outside. For example, they would ask us to remove belongings from the house, clean here, move the sofa, open the fridge, and open the cupboard.”
The IOF did not spare Palestinian minors either, CNN pointed out, as 17-year-old Mohammed Shbeir recounted his detention by Israeli soldiers following the killing of his father and sister during a raid on their home in Khan Younis.
He recalled, “I was handcuffed and wearing nothing but my boxers,” adding, “They used me as a human shield, taking me into demolished houses, places that could be dangerous or contain landmines.”
IOF used Palestinians as human shields in Gaza: NYT
In a similar report earlier this month, a New York Times investigation revealed that Israeli soldiers and intelligence agents have been coercing detained Palestinians in Gaza to carry out life-threatening reconnaissance missions to avoid risking the lives of Israeli soldiers on the battlefield.
Palestinian abductees in Gaza have reportedly been forced to scout areas in Gaza where the Israeli military suspects Resistance fighters may have laid traps or prepared ambushes.
Seven Israeli soldiers interviewed by NYT confirmed witnessing or participating in this routine practice, which they described as organized and supported by military logistics.
In one incident, an Israeli squad forced a group of displaced Palestinians to walk ahead of them as they advanced toward a militant hideout in central Gaza City, as described by Jehad Siam, a 31-year-old Palestinian graphic designer who was part of the group.
NYT also cited two Israeli soldiers who said some lower-ranking officers tried to justify the practice by falsely claiming the detainees were "terrorists" rather than civilians held without charges.
