The U.S. obtained intelligence last year indicating Israeli officials discussed sending Palestinians into Gaza tunnels believed to be rigged with explosives, two former U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.
The information was shared with the White House and analyzed by the intelligence community in the final weeks of former President Joe Biden's administration, the officials said.
International law prohibits the use of civilians as shields during military activity. Officials inside the Biden administration had long raised concerns about news reports that indicated Israeli soldiers were using Palestinians to potentially protect themselves in Gaza. Washington's collection of its own evidence on the subject has not been previously reported.
The U.S. intelligence gathered in the final months of 2024 raised questions inside the White House and the intelligence community about how widely the tactic was being used and whether Israel’s soldiers were acting on guidance issued by military leaders, the U.S. officials said.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security information, did not provide details on whether the Palestinians referenced in the intelligence were prisoners or civilians.
Reuters could not determine whether the Biden administration discussed the intelligence with the Israeli government.
Former Biden White House officials did not respond to requests for comment. The CIA did not respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it "prohibits the use of civilians as human shields or coercing them in any way to participate in military operations."
The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating "suspicions involving Palestinians in military missions," the statement said.
The Israeli government did not answer questions about whether it discussed the intelligence with the U.S.
Media reports have also indicated that Hamas has used civilians as human shields, specifically embedding its militants in civilian structures such as hospitals. The group has denied those accusations.
The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas incursion caused 1,200 deaths and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's genocidal war, in comparison, killed over 69,000 Palestinians, health officials in the enclave say.
