Dead Body Captured In Gaza Raises Suspicion Of Shadowy Israeli Mercenary Force

Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)

One of the dead bodies handed over by Hamas to Israel under the Gaza deal recently brokered by the United States turned out to be that of a Palestinian who the group insists was killed while taking part in an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the Strip last year. The whole affair brought back to light accusations of Israel recruiting foreign mercenaries, especially after it admitted deploying such “agents” during the 12-day war with Iran.

The body suspected of belonging to a Palestinian was among four handed over by Hamas to Israel in Gaza City on October 13.

After examinations at Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, the IDF confirmed two days later that only three of the bodies belonged to Israeli hostages, Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levy.

Later on the same day, a senior source in the “resistance,” the term used for Palestinian armed factions in Gaza led by Hamas, told Al Jazeera that “the body the enemy claims does not belong to an Israeli [and] is that of a soldier who was captured in a resistance operation.”

The source claimed that the operation took place on May 25 of 2024 in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, during which an IDF soldier was ostensibly killed and captured.

At the time, the IDF denied Hamas’s claim that it had captured a soldier in Jabalia, saying: “The IDF clarifies that there is no incident of a soldier’s kidnapping.”

The group had aired a video showing a bloodied person being dragged along the ground in a tunnel, and published images of military gear and three submachine guns, which were later identified as Czech-made CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1s. These specialized guns are not used by the IDF, and at the same time, and were never spotted in Gaza before.

Palestinian media at the time identified the man as Khalil Dawas, a Palestinian from the West Bank’s Aqabat Jabr camp, near Jericho.

The reports said Dawas was previously imprisoned for being a “threat to Israel”. More interestingly, sources from Aqabat Jabr reported that Khalid was an informant for Israel, and had not been seen in the village for some time, suspecting he fled to Israel.

Click to see full-size image.

Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported on October 15, without citing any sources, that the man whose body was returned “operated alongside security forces in searches of underground tunnels” and was “killed by Hamas terrorists a year and a half ago.”

While a part of Hebrew media leaned towards the theory that Palestinian was used as a human shield, a practice that the IDF was documented doing in Gaza, this is highly unlikely. People used in such cases were Gazans captured on the spot, not Palestinians brought in from other areas.

In addition, the footage shared by Hamas clearly shows the dead body dressed in what can be only described as tactical attire.

All of this and Kan’s report suggest that the Palestinian killed on that day, whether he was indeed Dawas or not, was armed and fighting for the IDF.

Very much since the outbreak of the war, the IDF was accused of deploying mercenaries, with reports talking about contractors being brought in from the United States and Europe for securing areas outside Gaza, or backing some Palestinian clans and gangs in the Strip that are opposed to Hamas.

There was no talk, however, of Israel, for example, recruiting collaborators from the West Bank, then sending them to Gaza to take part in operations there alongside the IDF after arming and training them. The latest case suggests that this actually may have happened.

Click to see full-size image.

Notably, Israel seemed to admit deploying such highly-trained and well-armed foreign mercenaries during the 12-day war with Iran last June, describing them as “foreign agents”.

A report by Israel’s Channel 13 from September revealed that the Mossad spy agency deployed some 100 foreign agents in Iran, tasked with destroying many of Islamic Republic’s missile launchers and air defense systems at the start of the war.

According to the report, the agents were highly-trained and placed and operated guided missile systems that weighed hundreds of kilograms, and which had been smuggled into Iran, that were used to target missile launchers and air defense systems.

This was the largest-ever operation run by the Mossad and was incredibly complex, given the need to train the agents, who were not Israeli, in the use of the sophisticated missile systems, the report said.

The success of such “foreign agents” in Gaza may have encouraged Israel to give them more trust, and use them against Iran.

In all cases, it is clear that Israel has built over the years a shadow mercenary force that is highly-trained and well-armed. This force appears to be not only capable of conducting traditional military operations alongside the IDF, but also covert operations deep behind enemy lines under the guidance of the Mossad.

While the deployment of mercenaries re-emerged during recent conflicts, the model adopted by Israel is very unique due to the level of deniability it offers.

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