How the IDF goes undercover among Palestinians
The mistaravim, Israeli soldiers disguised as Palestinians, are known for infiltrating demonstrations.
During the recent Israeli-Palestinian confrontations in the West Bank and Jerusalem, media outlets have filmed what appear to be armed civilians arresting and handing Palestinian demonstrators over to the Israel Defense Forces. These men, called mistaravim, wear Arab clothing to look like Palestinians as they carry out undercover missions against and sometimes kill Palestinians wanted by the IDF.
The mistaravim are increasingly intervening at the entrances to Palestinian cities and near Israeli settlements, points of friction between both sides.
On Oct. 7, the mistaravim could be clearly seen in confrontations between the IDF and Birzeit University students, and again at demonstrations near the Beit El settlement in northern Ramallah.
Although there are no reliable estimates available, Ghassan Da’ar’s book "Mistaravim: Israeli Death Squads" (2005) estimated the mistaravim killed 422 Palestinians between 1988 and 2004.
