By Staff, Agencies

US intelligence recorded “Israeli” officials last year discussing cases where Palestinians were sent into Gaza tunnels that "Israeli" forces suspected of containing explosives, Reuters reported, citing two former US officials familiar with the matter.

The scheme has also been widely deployed during raids on the West Bank.

The intelligence was shared with the White House and examined by the US intelligence community during the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s administration. International law prohibits the use of civilians as shields during military operations.

Officials within the Biden administration had long expressed concern over media reports suggesting "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] were using Palestinians to shield themselves in Gaza.

The new intelligence reportedly provided Washington with its own confirmation on the issue, which had not been previously reported.

The officials said the intelligence raised questions about how widely such tactics were employed and whether the IOF were acting under guidance from military leaders.

They did not clarify whether the Palestinians mentioned were detainees or civilians. Reuters was unable to determine whether the Biden administration shared the intelligence with the "Israeli" occupation entity.

The IOF alleged in a statement that “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 reportedly investigating “suspicions involving Palestinians in military missions.”

Former US officials said the intelligence on the IOF's conduct circulated alongside other sensitive information that suggested potential war crimes.

Reuters previously reported that "Israeli" lawyers warned that evidence might support war crimes charges against "Israel" for its war on Gaza. The new intelligence reportedly heightened concerns among senior officials who believed it could substantiate the proclamation that "Israel" was committing war crimes.

Such findings could have implicated the US, given its provision of weapons and intelligence to "Israel".

The intel revelations come shortly after IOF came forward with detailed accounts of their war crimes in Gaza, describing the collapse of rules of engagement within the ranks of the IOF. Their testimonies appear in Breaking Ranks: Inside "Israel’s" War, a television documentary set to air on ITV in the UK.

“If you want to shoot without restraint, you can,” said Daniel, commander of a tank unit, in the film. His and others’ testimonies point to a disregard for legal constraints and a dehumanizing approach to Palestinian civilians, particularly men aged between 20 and 40, who were broadly treated as combatants.

Some soldiers spoke anonymously, while others appeared on record, all explaining how IOF treated Palestinians.

They confirmed the IOF’ use of Palestinians as human shields, and shared accounts of troops opening fire on civilians attempting to reach food distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation [GHF].

Multiple testimonies in Breaking Ranks corroborate previous reports of the use of Palestinians as human shields, a practice informally known among the IOF as the “mosquito protocol".

“You send the human shield underground… He has an iPhone in his vest, and as he walks, it sends back GPS information,” said Daniel, the tank commander. “The commanders saw how it works. And the practice spread like wildfire. After about a week, every company was operating its own mosquito.”

The program also includes the testimony of Sam, a contractor at "aid distribution points" run by the GHF, in which hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by gunfire while attempting to procure food for their starving families.

He described in the documentary that IOF shot two unarmed men running for food. “They drop onto their knees and they just take two shots… two heads snap backwards and just drop,” he said. In another incident, a tank destroyed a civilian car carrying four people.

Both the "Israeli" occupation and the GHF have denied deliberately targeting civilians at these locations, claims that have been disputed by journalists and international investigations.