Israel is taking help of AI to catch Hamas fighters hiding in Gaza

The war between Israel and Hamas continues. During this time, reports have emerged claiming the use of the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) system by the Israeli Army in the bombing of Gaza. These systems, named Lavender and Gospel, have played a central role in the IDF's targeting strategy. In such a situation, a debate has now erupted about the moral and legal implications of their deployment. The number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has increased to 34,356.

Lavender, developed by Unit 8200, Israel's elite intelligence division, serves as an AI-powered database designed to identify potential targets associated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Lavender uses machine learning algorithms and processes large amounts of data to pinpoint individuals deemed as “junior” terrorists within these armed groups.

Lavender initially identified 37,000 Palestinian men affiliated with Hamas or PIJ, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call reported. The use of AI to identify targets marks a significant change in the way Israeli intelligence, the Mossad and Shin Bet, operate.

Soldiers often made decisions in two seconds based on lavender information, taking at least 20 seconds to determine whether or not to bomb these identified targets. Despite the AI program's error margin being up to 10 percent, human soldiers often followed the machine's information unquestioningly, meaning it could be up to 10 percent wrong.

Gospel is another AI system, which automatically identifies targets and provides information. Unlike Lavender who identifies human targets, Gospel reportedly identifies secret tunnels and buildings as targets. The IDF said in a statement, "It is a system that allows rapid target preparation using automated equipment and serves to improve the accuracy and high-quality intelligence material as required. The IDF said in a statement. The specific data sources cited in the gospel are unknown. However, experts said AI-powered target systems typically analyze diverse data sets, including drone imagery, intercepted communications, and behavioral patterns of individuals and groups.

The use of lavender and gospel in Israel's bombing campaign marks an important step forward in the intersection of AI and modern warfare... but also raises ethical and legal concerns. Although these technologies help in identifying targets, their deployment creates ethical and legal dilemmas.