At first glance, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States seem to operate in entirely different worlds. One enforces an occupation on Palestinians, under siege and threat of violence. The other enforces immigration laws in American neighborhoods. But look closer, and their tactics start to look strikingly similar.
This is no coincidence. For years, U.S. federal agencies—including ICE—have trained with Israeli forces, learning methods developed in the occupied Palestinian territories. So, crowd control, detention practices, raids, and intimidation strategies are now appearing in American cities. Let’s take a closer look at the undeniable parallels between the two.
1) Blocking Medical Aid
Israel’s Army
In Palestine, medical neutrality is systematically violated. Doctors Without Borders has stated:
“We’re seeing ambulances blocked by Israeli forces at checkpoints while carrying critical patients, medical facilities surrounded and raided during active operations, and health care workers subjected to physical violence while trying to save lives.”
Beyond obstruction, hospitals themselves have been directly targeted. Airstrikes, sieges, and ground raids have damaged or destroyed major medical facilities, forcing evacuations, cutting electricity and oxygen supplies, and collapsing Gaza’s healthcare system entirely. Between October 2023 and December 2024, the WHO recorded nearly 700 attacks on health care in the West Bank, showing how medical access can become a battlefield.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
In Minneapolis, after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, witnesses say ICE officers blocked emergency responders from reaching her, even stopping vehicles and telling a man who identified himself as a physician that he couldn’t check her condition.
Bystanders were told ICE “had their own medics,” though no independent medical support was available.
2) Detaining Children
Israel’s Army
Israel’s army has always been known to detain Palestinian minors in the occupied territories. By September 2025, 350 were held under “security” grounds, and another 110 for alleged illegal entry, often treated as security threats rather than children.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
In the U.S., ICE has also detained very young children. In January 2026, a five-year-old Minnesota boy and his father were taken from their driveway and sent to a detention center in Texas. Other children in the same district were also detained, showing ICE’s willingness to apprehend minors alongside adults.
3) Deaths in Custody
Israel’s Army
At least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since October 2023, according to Physicians for Human Rights‑Israel. Causes include physical violence and medical neglect. Hundreds, if not thousands, more remain unaccounted for, often with little transparency.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ICE had its deadliest year in 2025, with at least 32 deaths in custody. Families and lawyers repeatedly tried to secure care without success. In both cases, neglect and inadequate medical attention are leading causes of death.
4) Inhumane Conditions in Prisons
Israel’s Army
Palestinian detainees face systematic violence, food deprivation, unsanitary conditions, and medical neglect. Inspectors described detainees as skeletal and suffering, with outbreaks of disease exacerbated by prison conditions. They even deemed the prisons as ‘conditions unfit for human beings’ as reported by The Times of Israel.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. oversight visits found similar conditions. Senators touring California City Detention Center reported moldy food, contaminated water, and inadequate medical care. These unsafe environments parallel the inhumane treatment documented in Israeli prisons.
5) Masked Identities and Accountability
Israel’s Army
Starting this January, Israel’s army will hide soldiers’ identities, which used to apply only to officers of certain ranks. IDF headshots for personnel below colonel now show only the back of their heads, and masks will be standard during operations. This is to protect soldiers from accountability, including the risk of legal action abroad for involvement in war crimes in Gaza.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ICE officers in the U.S. also conceal their identities during raids with balaclavas, neck gaiters, sunglasses, or hats. Former FBI agent even noted that masking ‘highlights the illegitimacy of actions’, similar to how Israel’s army shields its personnel.
Conclusion
The parallels between Israel’s army in occupied Palestine and ICE operations are not coincidental. They reflect a shared logic of control rooted in militarization, restricted movement, detention, and diminished accountability. Across different contexts, the outcomes remain strikingly similar.
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