Reports: Shin Bet Forces Gaza Targets to Choose Solitary Death or Airstrike on Families

POLICY WIRE — Jerusalem, Israel — A disturbing new report alleges that Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, is manipulating Hamas targets within Gaza to significantly reduce civilian casualties. The strategy reportedly involves coercing operatives into making life-and-death decisions before aerial strikes are executed.

According to a recent investigation, intelligence officers call suspected terrorists immediately prior to an airstrike. During these communications, targets are forced to select between dying isolated on a rooftop or remaining inside to share the blast with their relatives.

This tactic aims to spare innocent family members from the impact of the weapons, effectively shifting the burden of the strike away from the household.

Journalists for The Jerusalem Post spoke with several individuals identified as Palestinian faction activists along with their relatives. These witnesses described a consistent pattern of high-stakes phone calls preceding military action in various districts.

One specific incident involves a member of Hamas’s Nukhba Force in Khan Younis. The report details how a Shin Bet officer warned him an airstrike was imminent and urged him to climb onto a rooftop to die alone, thereby protecting his family.

The Nukhba operative complied, moving to the roof as instructed. This move is credited with preventing the strike from hitting the building interior where his family was located.

Gaza-based sources indicate that such ultimatum calls have been made on at least five separate occasions. The reports highlight the contrast between this calculated choice and the indiscriminate methods reportedly used against civilians on October 7.

The alleged protocol represents a controversial shift in operational tactics, prioritizing the shielding of non-combatants through direct coercion of suspected terrorists.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)