Israel uses artificial intelligence to identify bombing targets in Gaza Strip - Media

The Israeli military is using an artificial intelligence system called "Lavender" to select bombing targets in the Gaza Strip. The system was developed after Hamas rocket attacks in October 2023, according to an investigation by local publications +972 Magazine and Local Call.

Here's What We Know

According to sources, at its peak, Lavender flagged some 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza as "suspected Hamas militants" and authorised their destruction. However, the Israeli military has denied the existence of such a list, saying the AI is not used to identify suspected terrorists, but is merely a "tool for analysts" in the target selection process.

According to the piece, the data used to train Lavender included not only information about known Hamas militants, but also people with little connection to the organisation. The system was trained to identify "characteristics" of suspected militants, such as membership in WhatsApp groups with them or frequent changes of mobile phones. Sources estimate that about 10 per cent of the people identified by Lavender were not actually Hamas members.

The military, which used the system, said it did not need to independently verify the targets identified by Lavender before carrying out strikes. This resulted in many civilian casualties that were "treated statistically." In some cases, family members of suspected militants were also targeted.

Experts see the use of Lavender as a continuation of the policy of mass surveillance and collective punishment of Palestinians that Israel has been pursuing for years. They call for ensuring that wartime does not justify the mass murder of civilians.

Source: The Verge