An investigation published by Haaretz on Tuesday revealed that a senior officer in the Israeli army killed a Palestinian who had been used as a human shield in Rafah, southern Gaza.

The report detailed how Israeli soldiers forced a civilian to accompany them during building searches, using him as a human shield. The civilian was kept with the soldiers inside one of the buildings. When the officer arrived and realised the man was Palestinian, he shot him. The officer later claimed he was unaware the soldiers had kept the man there, despite initially authorising it.

On 15 October, The New York Times also reported testimonies from Israeli soldiers who witnessed or participated in the use of detained Palestinians as human shields in Gaza.

According to the report, at least 11 teams of Israeli soldiers and intelligence operatives forced Palestinians to navigate and photograph tunnel networks suspected of hiding Hamas fighters or containing explosives, including generators and water tanks.

Israel’s ongoing war and genocide in Gaza has seen its forces commit widespread crimes against Palestinian civilians and displaced families. Today marks the 460th consecutive day of this war, marked by continued bombings, destruction of inhabited homes, and new massacres.