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Image source: Getty Images
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An Israeli soldier carries a tablet with him for operations.
The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, is one of the most modern militaries in the world. From the 2022 statement that they created “Many cutting-edge technologies” in collaboration with the armaments industry
The war in Gaza has seen the Israeli army adopt high-tech weapons.
According to the IDF, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a huge role. Both in the weapons used by Israel and in the identification of the targets of the attack, although the decision to order an assassination still depends on the military.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 22,000. which is administered by Hamas
The IDF says the use of weapons complies with international law. and with caution to reduce civilian casualties.
So what are Israel’s new high-tech weapons?
Barak tank
Image source: Israeli Ministry of Defense
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Barak tank
The Barak tank, which uses artificial intelligence in many ways, is the fifth generation of the famous Merkava tank.
A key feature is that the commander can see movements around the vehicle even when the top hatch is closed. He calls it the IDF “Reliable Wide Detection Sensors” that create a realistic picture of the external environment
The first new tanks were delivered to the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armored Division in early September 2023, after 5 years of development.
The Barak also works with a system called “Trophy Active Protection”, which creates a 360-degree “shield” around the tank. The system instantly detects and neutralizes any threat to the vehicle by launching a rocket to destroy incoming rockets.
Sparkling drone
image copyright: Aeronautics
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Sparkling drone
The Spark drone was developed as part of the Israeli Air Force’s Strom Cloud project. Its mission is to gather intelligence and support combat with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is produced by the Israeli companies Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Aeronautics Group (Aeronautics Group).
The Israel Defense Forces has not released many details about the new drone. they said that “It will help effectively develop the offensive operational capabilities of the military based on the information received”, but did not specify how it will work.
Explosive drone
Image source: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
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Firefly Spike
This is a variant of the kamikaze drone. which weighs just 3 kilograms and comes with a detachable muzzle.
According to Rafael, the manufacturer, it is mainly used at distances beyond the visual field. This means that drones can fly to enemy positions that cannot be seen by soldiers operating on the ground.
After taking it out of the small, portable box, the drone can hover above the ground for up to 30 minutes, giving soldiers a sense of its surroundings up to 1.5 kilometers away.
It can gather intelligence and identify targets under the command of soldiers who control the equipment via tablets. and can also return to base Or if it is equipped with a 350 gram warhead, it will be able to hit the target. The damage will spread in all directions.
Iron Sting
The Iron Sting is a “precise laser- and GPS-guided mortar” developed by Elbit System, which according to the IDF. This weapon was first used in Gaza in October 2023.
According to the manufacturer, the Iron Sting is a precision-guided 120mm howitzer that provides “robustness for any battlefield situation” with a range of 1-12 kilometers, depending on the caliber of the mortar.
Meanwhile, according to Elbit, the explosion and fragmentation of the warhead can penetrate two layers of reinforced concrete.
image copyright, Elbit systems
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Howitzer with iron stinger
What role does artificial intelligence play in war?
Although it is claimed that the use of artificial intelligence makes weapons more precise against their targets, and help limit the extent of unwanted damage. including the killing of civilians But the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have expressed concerns about the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in armed conflicts.
The ICRC said this in a report published late last year “Discharging legal duties and ethical responsibilities Must not be transferred to machines and artificial intelligence instead of humans”. However, the ICRC declined to comment on the reports on Israel’s use of artificial intelligence.
These concerns concern autonomous weapons systems. which responds immediately when the mechanism is activated Including missile defense systems and various bomb-laden drones.
In 2023, the Israel Defense Forces used artificial intelligence for intelligence gathering and target identification.
It was also used in the 2021 11-Day War in Gaza.
From an interview on the website of an Israeli news agency called Ynet News in June last year, Aviv Kochavi, former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces Talking about the target command unit, It is made up of hundreds of officers and soldiers enhanced by AI abilities.
“It is a machine capable of processing huge amounts of data faster and more efficiently than any human. and turn these findings into goals that can be acted upon,” Aviv said.
“In the past we identified 50 targets in the Gaza Strip in a year, but this machine We were able to identify 100 targets in a day and more than 50% of them were hit,” he explained quoting “Operation Guardian of the Walls ” which took place in 2021
The IDF and AI produced a target called “The Gospel.
The Gospel is a new Israeli artificial intelligence platform developed for use by the Target Identification Command. It was described by the Israel Defense Forces in an article published on their website on November 2, 2023, as “a 24-hour target identification factory.”
According to the IDF, it is “a system that allows automated tools to quickly identify targets… with the help of artificial intelligence. Combined with rapid and automatic extraction of up-to-date intelligence information. create recommendations for researchers. The goal is to match the information provided by the AI recommendations with the identification performed by the individual.”
This system sets targets for the attack. From the processing of data imported from various Israeli intelligence forces. In the Gaza Strip it is working, but according to the IDF the final decision is up to officials.
On the 27th day of the war, the Israel Defense Forces declared they had more than 12,000 targets in Gaza.
Mr. Yuval Abraham, an Israeli investigative journalist based in Jerusalem. He investigated the use of AI weapons in the war on Gaza.
His report called “Mass Assassination Factory” published in +972 magazine, an independent online media It is a non-profit organization run by Palestinian and Israeli journalists. The report, including on the “Local Call” news agency website, cites conversations between seven current and former members of the Israeli intelligence community, including military intelligence officers. and officers of the Air Force which is involved in Israeli operations
Abraham told the BBC that the Gospel system could identify “operating bases and family homes” as well as the number of civilians the IDF estimates will be killed.
“When civilians die in Gaza Most have already been calculated. And it was intentional,” Abraham said, citing his anonymous source. The operation targets youths as young as 16 and the criteria includes harming Palestinian civilians. “There was considerable relief” in targeting members of Hamas.
When asked by the IDF about the allegations, the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC: Such actions “It is in response to the barbaric attacks by Hamas. The IDF is carrying out operations to eradicate the Hamas administration and army. Unlike Hamas, which deliberately attacks Israeli men, women and children, the IDF respects international law. and take every measure possible to mitigate harm to civilians.”
Image source: Getty Images
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Houses destroyed in the Gaza Strip
In the era of “high precision” systems, why did so many civilians die?
According to Yuval Abraham’s report, three Israeli military sources said Hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the attacks. which targeted senior Hamas members
The source also said this: “They (previously) killed dozens of senior Hamas members. But the number of civilians currently authorized to be killed has increased 10-20 times compared to the past.”
Mr Yuval told the BBC: This is what his sources say Officials leading military operations in Gaza today “Abandon all previous procedures. who says not to attack civilians.”
“They are carrying out a completely disproportionate attack. Because they focus on the quantity but not the quality of the target,” he said, quoting a source who is an Israeli military intelligence official.
At the time, an IDF spokesperson did not respond to questions from +972 magazine and Local Call about details of the attack based on Yuval’s writings. But it states more generally: “The Israel Defense Forces provide early warning of various forms of attack. And only when the situation allows Including sending individual alerts via telephone. for those close to the target” (during the war there were more than 25,000 live conversations including millions of recorded conversations, text messages and air leaflets to alert the population)
“Generally, the IDF strives to minimize the harm that attacks cause to civilians. Although it is extremely challenging to fight terrorist organizations that use Gazans as human shields.”
The BBC attempted to contact the IDF regarding these claims. to ask what Israel is doing to protect the citizens of Gaza. And is what they are doing enough? If you look at the number of deaths
The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to our specific questions but said they “obey international law and take all possible precautions to minimize the impact on civilians.”
Israel says Hamas uses civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields. Including the use of tunnels and the creation of a command center under the infrastructure of this area.
Colonel Philip Ingram, former British military intelligence officer told the BBC: For the Israeli army “If Hamas uses its forces to approach or penetrate civilian infrastructure, it would become a legitimate military target. And if the objective of attacking that location is to destroy military objectives, then it is a legitimate objective.”
“The responsibility of the Israeli army is to do everything possible to reduce the number of civilian casualties. And that doesn’t mean civilians weren’t injured. Whether it is appropriate or not But it is a political and military decision of the Israeli commander,” Colonel Philip said.
image source: Anadolu
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Civilians injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Smart bomb and stupid bomb
The use of new “smart” weapons with high accuracy and a system to help identify targets in this war. It does not completely replace the old “dumb” weapons.
According to some data from the assessment of the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, published on the CNN website in December 2023, it was stated that about 40-45% of the weapons released from 29,000 aircraft-to-air and land-based missiles in the Gaza Strip do not have guidance systems. Also known as the “dumb bomb” or “dumb bomb” as opposed to the “smart bomb” or smart bomb with guidance system.
These bombs do not have a guidance system. “It can miss the target by up to 30 meters. This error means just that It could fall on an apartment full of civilians. Instead of attacking the Hamas headquarters,” said Mark Carlosco, a former senior intelligence analyst at the Pentagon. and former UN war crimes investigator who spoke to victims and witnesses of the blast Had an interview with the BBC Previously verified
IDF says ‘use of wrong weapons’
On December 24, 2023, Israel launched an Israeli air strike on the Makhazi refugee camp, located in the heart of the Gaza Strip. This resulted in the deaths of 86 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces admitted using the wrong weapons in the attack. Telling the BBC, “We apologize for any harm that has occurred.”
An Israeli military officer told Khan News, an Israeli television news agency “Using equipment that does not match the type of attack. Resulting in extensive damage. towards goals that can be avoided.”
The army said the planes hit two targets adjacent to areas where Hamas operates. But this also led to further attacks on nearby buildings.
Israel launches offensive against Gaza After Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Of which around 240 people were held hostage, according to Israeli reports.
2024-01-14 02:17:05
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