Overview
- Two former U.S. officials said intelligence collected in late 2024 described Israeli officials discussing soldiers sending Palestinians into tunnels believed to be potentially rigged with explosives.
- The material was shared with the White House and reviewed by the intelligence community in the final weeks of the Biden administration, raising questions about scope and possible command guidance.
- The Israel Defense Forces said it prohibits using civilians as human shields and said its Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating suspicions involving Palestinians in military missions.
- U.S. government lawyers determined the available evidence did not show Israel had committed war crimes, allowing continued U.S. weapons deliveries and intelligence sharing.
- Some former U.S. officials characterized the intelligence as pointing to individual incidents rather than an overarching policy, and the CIA, former White House officials, and the Israeli government did not comment.