The United States allegedly gathered intelligence last year of Israeli officials discussing how their soldiers had sent Palestinians into Hamas terror tunnels the Israelis suspected may have been lined with explosives, according to two former US officials familiar with the matter.
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.
The Israeli government did not answer questions about whether it discussed the intelligence with the US, and did not respond to Reuters requests for comment about the story.
In a statement, the 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.
Officials inside the Biden administration had raised concerns about news reports that indicated Israeli soldiers were using Palestinians to explore Hamas' terrorist infrastructure underneath Gaza. Washington's collection of its own evidence on the subject has not been previously reported.
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 captured Hamas terrorists or civilians.
Intelligence raised questions in Biden White House
The US intelligence gathered in the final months of 2024 raised questions inside the White House and the intelligence community about how frequently the tactic was being used and whether Israel’s soldiers were acting on guidance issued by military leaders, the US officials said.
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.
Hamas has a history of using civilians as human shields, specifically embedding its terrorist infrastructure in and underneath civilian structures such as hospitals.
Several US agencies determined that the evidence did not support war crime accusations
Former US officials said the intelligence raised concern among officials who believed the information supported allegations that Israel was committing war crimes. If Israel were found guilty of war crimes, the US could be held liable for providing weapons to the IDF. It would also likely force the US to stop sharing intelligence with Israel.
Lawyers from across several US agencies determined in the final weeks of the Biden administration, however, that the evidence did not show that Israel had committed war crimes and that the US could continue supporting Israel with weapons and intelligence.
Former US officials said the broad set of intelligence received late in the Biden administration described only individual incidents in Gaza and did not represent overarching Israeli practice or policy.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.