Israel unleashed AI-powered war of annihilation in Gaza, investigation reveals

A New York Times investigation has exposed how Israel fundamentally altered its military protocols after 7 October 2023 to enable widespread civilian casualties in Gaza, effectively erasing civilian protections under the laws of war. Through its systematic dismantling of safeguards and adoption of new AI targeting protocols, the apartheid state effectively adopted an understanding of the laws of war that cancels the category of civilian to serve what has been described as a war of annihilation against Palestinians.

The investigation found that Israel’s military leadership issued an unprecedented order allowing mid-ranking officers to approve strikes that could kill up to 20 civilians – a dramatic increase from previous limits of 5-10. For some period, forces were permitted to kill up to 500 civilians daily before this cap was removed entirely, demonstrating a systematic disregard for Palestinian life.

READ: 902 Palestinian families wiped out in Gaza by Israel over past year: Media office

The intensity of the bombing campaign was unprecedented in modern warfare, with Israel firing nearly 30,000 munitions in the first seven weeks alone. Airwars, a London-based conflict monitor, documented 136 strikes in October 2023 that each killed at least 15 people – five times more than any comparable period anywhere in the world over the past decade.

The military’s assault was characterised by the widespread use of heavy munitions in densely populated areas. By November, the air force had dropped so many one-tonne bombs that it began running low on precision guidance kits, forcing pilots to rely on less accurate “dumb bombs” and outdated Vietnam-era munitions that often failed to detonate. The air force used these massive bombs to destroy entire buildings even when smaller munitions could have achieved military objectives, showing a deliberate choice to maximise destruction.

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The investigation reveals a deeply flawed targeting process. Israel relied on crude statistical models based on mobile phone usage to assess civilian presence, often launching strikes hours after last confirming target locations. In one case, seven hours elapsed between intelligence gathering and the strike, resulting in civilian deaths while missing the intended target. The military’s risk assessment model failed to account for basic wartime realities such as power outages affecting phone usage and the tendency of displaced people to cluster together in large groups.

The military deployed artificial intelligence systems, including one codenamed “The Gospel”, to rapidly identify targets by cross-referencing data from phone conversations, satellite imagery and mobile signals. However, these systems often relied on outdated information, increasing the risk of misidentifying civilians as combatants. Senior US military officials are said to have repeatedly warned their Israeli counterparts about the catastrophically imprecise assessments resulting from these methods.

Perhaps most disturbing is the military’s apparent indifference to civilian casualties. The investigation found that Israel rarely conducted post-strike reviews of civilian harm or punished officers for wrongdoing. Only two officers have been fired for their role in the air campaign, and this was only after killing several foreign aid workers. A panel is supposedly investigating hundreds of strikes, but no one has been charged.

While the NYT presents these findings as exclusive revelations, critics note that key aspects, particularly Israel’s use of AI systems like “Lavender” to target Palestinians in Gaza, were first exposed by +972 Magazine eight months ago. This earlier reporting had already documented how Israel’s targeting protocols were fundamentally redesigned to enable mass civilian casualties.

The investigation ultimately reveals a military operation that systematically dismantled civilian protections under the laws of war, deploying devastating force in densely populated areas with minimal regard for civilian life. The combination of loosened targeting restrictions, heavy munitions use, flawed intelligence methods and lack of accountability has resulted in one of the deadliest bombing campaigns of the 21st century, with over 15,000 Palestinians killed in just the first two months of operations.

The death toll in Gaza has passed 45,000 while reputable medical agencies believe that the total number of Palestinians killed by Israel is likely to top 186,000.

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