Israel’s Use of Artificial Intelligence to Identify Targets in Gaza: Report

In the weeks immediately following Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Israel Defense Forces allegedly deliberately targeted civilian homes and allegedly used an artificial intelligence called Lavender to identify assassination targets. used based programming, resulting in multiple bombings based on decisions made with almost no human review.

According to one report, at one point the regime, while conducting mass surveillance in Gaza, compiled a list of 37,000 targets for bombing, including several alleged low-level Hamas members who usually carry out bombing operations. They were not targeted.

The allegations, published by +972 magazine and Local Call, are based on interviews with six Israeli intelligence officers who served in Gaza during the conflict with Hamas and were involved in the use of artificial intelligence to investigate targets. .

One officer stated that his role in the system was merely a ‘rubber stamp’ on the decisions of Lavender’s targets, who spent only a few seconds personally reviewing the system’s recommendations.

Officials said they targeted Hamas members in their homes when they were with civilians, as intelligence tools made it easier to confirm their location.

The planners considering the attacks were also reportedly prepared to kill 15 or 20 civilians while targeting a low-level Hamas operative.

“We were not interested in killing Hamas operatives only when they were in a military building or engaged in military activity,” said one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity.

‘In contrast, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bombarded their homes without hesitation as a first option. It is very easy to bomb a single family home. This system is designed to find them in these situations.’

The IDF told the agencies in response to the investigation: ‘An independent investigation by an (intelligence) analyst is required to confirm that the IDF directives and international law are in place. Attacks on identified targets are permissible according to conditions.’

Observers have criticized these tactics as inhumane.

Tariq Kenishawa, a fellow at Al-Shabqa: The Palestinian Policy Network, described the reports as “distressing”.

On the other hand, Alex Hanna of the Distributed AI Research Institute wrote in his message on X that ‘this is painful and the future of artificial intelligence warfare for America.’

An intelligence officer who used the Lavender system, developed by Israel’s elite Unit 8200, told The Guardian that ‘after October 7, soldiers were often trusting the system more than the judgment of their peers.’

The officer added: ‘There is no such instance in my memory. Everyone lost themselves there, including me, on October 7. The machine did it very comfortably and it made it easy.’

In a statement to The Guardian, the IDF denied using artificial intelligence for information on confirmed military targets and said that ‘Lavender was used to gather information from various sources to target terrorist organisations. Latest information about military members can be obtained.

In this handout photo released by the Israeli army on January 4, 2024, members of the Israeli Air Force’s Unit 669 carry a wounded Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip (Israeli Army/AFP)

It added that the IDF does not use artificial intelligence systems that attempt to identify terrorists or predict whether a person is a terrorist or not. Information systems are only tools for analysts in the target identification process.’

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, an estimated 33,000 Palestinians have died during Israel’s aggression, the majority of whom are civilians.

Israel has faced constant scrutiny for the high number of civilian deaths in its operations, which have targeted residential areas, hospitals and refugee camps.

The IDF says Hamas often plans military operations in civilian areas to use civilians as shields.

The IDF’s targeting strategy is once again under international criticism after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers on Monday (April 1).