The war on Gaza has reignited following "Israel’s" decision to renege on a ceasefire on March 17, leading to relentless strikes that have pushed the death toll beyond 50,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Amid the ongoing genocide, an Israeli soldier, using the pseudonym Tommy, has spoken to CBS News anonymously, raising grave concerns about the military’s conduct.

“We've burned down buildings for no reason, which is violating international law, of course,” he revealed. “And we used human shields as protection.”

'Sending Palestinians—rather than trained dogs—is official policy'

Tommy described being ordered to send Palestinian civilians—rather than trained dogs—into buildings suspected of containing explosives. “They were Palestinian,” he explained. “We sent them in first to see if the building was clear and check for booby traps…They were trembling and shaking.” Despite objections from soldiers, their commander insisted on continuing the practice, which Tommy said was official policy.

The tactic, known as the "Mosquito Protocol", has been confirmed by Breaking the Silence, a group of Israeli veterans exposing military abuses. The organization stated that multiple whistleblowers have corroborated its widespread use in Gaza.

It is worth noting that reports indicate that similar tactics are being used in the occupied West Bank.

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IOF use 80-year-old Palestinian as human shield, kill him, his wife

Israeli occupation using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza: NYT

In the West Bank, 14-year-old Omri Salem, along with his nine-year-old cousin, was forced by Israeli soldiers to search a four-story apartment building. “I was so scared,” he told CBS news. “Then they started beating us.”

Omri remains deeply traumatized after being held at gunpoint and used as a human shield. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Tommy said, “I'm morally wounded.”

“It’s f****d up, you know, to use citizens as your human shield like a dog,” he confessed.

IOF use 80-year-old Palestinian as human shield, kill him, his wife

Invading Israeli units strapped explosives around the neck of an elderly Palestinian man in Gaza, forcing him to act as a human shield before killing both him and his wife, according to an investigation that was released in February by the Israeli news website HaMakom.

The man, believed to be over 80 and relying on a walking stick, was threatened with death if he refused to carry out searches. He was reportedly forced to walk for eight hours, knowing that any mistake could result in his slaughter.

The incident occurred in May of the previous year when Israeli occupation forces from various brigades besieged the home of the elderly couple in Gaza City's al-Zaytoun neighborhood. After being coerced into entering homes and tunnels supposedly used by the Palestinian Resistance, the couple was ordered to leave for al-Mawasi, a small area housing forcibly displaced Palestinians. However, as they neared safety, they were both shot dead.

Dive deeper

The tactic of using civilians as human shields, referred to as the "mosquito protocol", has been used repeatedly by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, according to HaMakom. This practice, which is illegal under both Israeli and international law, involves forcing Palestinians to enter potentially dangerous areas ahead of Israeli troops. In August, Haaretz reported that the Israeli army had used Palestinians in such operations.

The Israeli military has consistently denied these claims. However, one soldier contradicted the official line, saying, "The mosquito protocol is completely regulated, and it's a very gray zone within the army. It goes down as a regulated order." Despite official denials, the soldier explained that lower-level officers often carry out these orders while higher commanders disown them. "Even when the investigations come out, there's no chance that the IDF will admit that this is the regulated order," the soldier said.

Read next: Probe confirms Israeli military using Palestinians as human shields