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Israeli Military Rejects Documentary Claims of AI Targeting in Gaza
A new documentary called “NAZA” makes serious claims about how Israel conducted attacks in Gaza.
It includes 24 people who say they worked for Israel’s military or intelligence services.
They spoke anonymously, with their faces and voices changed for protection.
Some said a computer system called “Lavender” helped identify people as possible targets.
They described the work as feeling like a factory or a video game.
The Israeli military strongly rejected these claims.
It said the witnesses cannot be verified and that people, not artificial intelligence, make decisions about strikes.
The documentary received a long standing ovation when it premiered in Venice.
The report also gives casualty figures from the Gaza health ministry and deaths from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The Israeli military rejected allegations that artificial intelligence was used to select targets for mass killings in Gaza.
The documentary “NAZA” features 24 anonymous Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers describing an alleged killing system.
Interviewees said an AI system called “Lavender” used surveillance data to identify people for assassination.
The military said human personnel alone select and approve strikes and that it follows international and humanitarian law.
The documentary premiered in Venice, while casualty figures cited in the report include at least 73,658 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.
- Who
- The Israeli military, the filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, and 24 anonymous Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers are central to the report.
- What
- The military rejected documentary allegations that artificial intelligence helped select targets or enabled mass killings of civilians in Gaza.
- Where
- The documentary premiered in Venice, and the alleged targeting occurred in Gaza; the anonymous interviews were filmed on rooftops in Tel Aviv.
- When
- The documentary premiered in Venice the day before the Israeli military issued its Friday statement; the reported conflict began after October 7, 2023.
- Why
- The filmmakers said they wanted to document how alleged systems of killing in Gaza operated, while the military said the allegations were unverifiable and inaccurate.
Documentary and Whistleblowers
Israeli Military
Role of artificial intelligence
Documentary and Whistleblowers
Interviewees said the system called “Lavender” used mass-surveillance data to identify people for assassination and contributed to automated or highly systematized targeting.
Israeli Military
The military said decisions on selecting and approving strikes were made by human personnel only and not by artificial intelligence.
Credibility of testimony
Documentary and Whistleblowers
The filmmakers relied on 24 sources who said they had military or intelligence experience and concealed their identities to protect them.
Israeli Military
The military said the witnesses’ identities and military roles cannot be verified, and that some claims exceed what junior-level soldiers would know.
Civilian harm and legal conduct
Documentary and Whistleblowers
Interviewees described the destruction of civilian homes, disregard for war and humanitarian laws, and an atmosphere of hatred toward Palestinians.
Israeli Military
The military said it targets terrorist organizations, especially Hamas, in accordance with international law and makes unprecedented efforts to minimize civilian harm.
Key facts
- Documentary
- “NAZA,” an 80-minute Israeli film by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
- Whistleblowers interviewed
- 24 Israeli military or intelligence sources, all speaking anonymously.
- Alleged AI system
- “Lavender,” described by interviewees as using surveillance data to identify assassination targets.
- Military response
- The Israeli military said human personnel alone select and approve strikes, not artificial intelligence.
- Venice premiere
- The film received a 25-minute ovation at its premiere.
- Palestinian death toll cited
- At least 73,658 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
- October 7 death toll cited
- An AFP tally based on official Israeli figures recorded 1,221 people killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.
Quotes
Israeli military interviewee
Anonymous interviewee involved in identifying targets
“hear in as much detail as possible, how the systems of killing in Gaza looked like, how they operated”
NDTV
“by human personnel only... and not by artificial intelligence”
NDTV
Sources
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