Israel Deploys Palestinians to Intercept Iranian Missiles

June 17, 2025 – Tel Aviv: Israeli officials have proposed designating certain Palestinian-heavy areas with limited shelter infrastructure as “civilian buffer zones” to absorb potential Iranian missile and drone strikes, allowing other civilians to reach fortified, air-conditioned shelters.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Palestinian citizens of Israel represented the “most practical option” in the current conflict, citing their previous use by the military as human shields during operations in Gaza. He reportedly added that public sentiment in Israel remained largely unaffected by harm to Palestinian communities.

Mr Katz denied that the policy was discriminatory, suggesting instead that it could be viewed as an opportunity for Palestinians citizens to demonstrate loyalty to the state and pre-emptively dispel further accusations of antisemitism.