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, a New York Times investigation revealed.

After Israeli soldiers discovered Mohammed Shubeir hiding with his family in early March, they abducted him for about 10 days before releasing him without any charges.

During this time, Shubeir recalled that the soldiers used him as a human shield. At just 17 years old, he recounted being forced to walk handcuffed through the desolate ruins of his hometown, Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, as he searched for explosives. To keep themselves safe from potential explosions, the soldiers made him go ahead.

'The last moments of my life'

In one destroyed building, he halted in shock upon noticing a series of wires running along the wall, which were connected to explosives. “The soldiers sent me like a dog to a booby-trapped apartment,” Shubeir, a high school student, stated. “I thought these would be the last moments of my life.”

According to the NYT, this brutal practice has been employed by 11 squads across five cities in Gaza, involving individuals from Israeli intelligence agencies. 

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 The Times confirmed witnessing or participating in this routine practice, which they described as organized and supported by military logistics.

Eight other soldiers and officials spoke anonymously about the tactic. Three Palestinians gave on-record accounts of being used as human shields, according to the NYT.

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.

The neighbor procedure 

Soldiers reported being told that the lives of "terrorists" were less valuable than those of Israelis. However, according to the NYT, officers often determined that the detainees were not affiliated with any groups and released them without charges. 

In early February, the IOF claimed to have discovered a Hamas tunnel network extending underneath the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City. According to the NYT, officers on-site decided to send a Palestinian equipped with a body camera to explore the tunnels to avoid risking the lives of Israeli engineers. 

The NYT also recalled a similar tactic used by the Israeli military in Gaza and the West Bank during the early 2000s, known as the "neighbor procedure". Soldiers would force Palestinian civilians to approach militants' homes in an effort to persuade them to surrender.

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