PNN – Reuters has revealed that the U.S. intelligence community was aware of Israeli officials discussing the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Reuters confirmed—citing informed sources—that U.S. intelligence had knowledge of internal Israeli discussions concerning the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in Gaza.
The report states that last year, the United States collected information from Israeli officials regarding discussions on sending Palestinian civilians into Gaza’s tunnel network, which Israeli forces believed might be rigged with explosives.
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According to Reuters, two former U.S. officials familiar with the matter shared this information with the White House, and American intelligence agencies analyzed it during the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The report adds that officials in the Biden administration had previously expressed concern over media reports suggesting that Israeli forces were using Palestinian civilians in Gaza as human shields. Until now, however, no evidence had surfaced indicating that Washington had gathered specific intelligence on the issue.
The information about the Israeli military’s use of civilians as human shields was among several intelligence reports circulated in the final stages of the Biden administration.