Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace
Member of the Ansar Allah Political Bureau, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti: The Israeli aggression on Yemen will not deter us from continuing to support Gaza, no matter the sacrifices
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Israeli aggression targeted the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street, southwest of the capital, Sanaa, with several raids

'Targets never end': 'Israel' uses Lavender AI system for Gaza bombing

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 4 Apr 2024 15:44
  • 9 Shares
5 Min Read

Israeli intelligence sources disclose the deployment of the Lavender system in the Gaza genocide, affirming authorization to target civilians in pursuit of Resistance fighters.

  • x
  • Palestinian cameraman Mohammed Alaloul (L) hugs his father after two of his children and his brother were killed in an Israeli strike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp. (AFP via Getty Images)
    Palestinian cameraman Mohammed Alaloul (L) hugs his father after two of his children and his brother were killed in an Israeli strike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp. (AFP via Getty Images)

The Israeli military's airstrikes in Gaza utilized a previously undisclosed AI-powered database, dubbed Lavender, which reportedly identified 37,000 alleged targets linked to the Palestinian Resistance, according to intelligence sources familiar with the ongoing aggression.

These sources also unmasked that Israeli military officials authorized the killing of a significant number of Palestinian civilians, particularly in the initial weeks and months of the genocide.

Their testimonies offer shocking experiences of Israeli intelligence personnel employing machine-learning systems to pinpoint "targets" during the six-month-long aggression.

'The machine did it coldly'

Israeli utilization of sophisticated AI technology in its genocidal campaign in Gaza marks new territory in modern warfare, adding to the legal and ethical scrutiny and reshaping the dynamics between military personnel and automated systems.

"The machine did it coldly. And that made it easier,”  said one intelligence officer who used Lavender.

“I would invest 20 seconds for each target at this stage, and do dozens of them every day. I had zero added-value as a human, apart from being a stamp of approval. It saved a lot of time,” said another soldier.

The testimony from the six intelligence officers, all of whom have been involved in using AI systems to identify "targets" allegedly affiliated with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) during the war, was provided to Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. This information was published in a report by publication +972 Magazine and outlet Local Call.

Authorization to target civilians

All six individuals stated that Lavender played a pivotal role in the war, analyzing vast amounts of data to swiftly identify "potential targets". According to four sources, Lavender initially listed up to 37,000 Palestinian men allegedly linked to the Resistance during the early stages of the war.

Developed by the Israel Security Forces' elite intelligence division, Unit 8200, Lavender is likened to the US National Security Agency or the UK's GCHQ.

Related News

How AI is transforming higher education: FT

Inside the AI world: Profiling, weapons, 'Israel' & people pleasing

Multiple sources detailed how the IOF implemented pre-authorized allowances for specific "target categories", specifying the estimated number of civilians permissible to be killed before authorizing a strike.

Palestinian father Ashraf abu Draz from #Rafah bidding farewell for his wife and two daughters aged 1 and 3 who were KILLED in #Israeli_bombing of his house last night!#StopGazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/U9M3S2NOG2

— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) April 4, 2024

According to two sources, in the initial weeks of the war, they were authorized to kill 15 to 20 civilians during airstrikes allegedly targeting Resistance fighters. These attacks, typically executed using unguided munitions referred to as "dumb bombs", resulted in the destruction of entire residences and the fatalities of all individuals inside them.
 
“You don’t want to waste expensive bombs on unimportant people – it’s very expensive for the country and there’s a shortage [of those bombs],” one intelligence officer said.

“Because we usually carried out the attacks with dumb bombs, and that meant literally dropping the whole house on its occupants. But even if an attack is averted, you don’t care – you immediately move on to the next target. Because of the system, the targets never end. You have another 36,000 waiting,” another added.

According to experts, if "Israel" has indeed utilized unguided bombs to destroy the residences of numerous Palestinians over the mere suspicion of having ties to Resistance groups in Gaza, aided by AI technology, this could provide a potential explanation for the significantly elevated civilian death toll during the war.

The Health Ministry reported earlier today that the total number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli aggression on Gaza started on October 7 has risen to 33,037, in addition to 75,668 injuries.

‘It’s much easier to bomb a family’s home’

The testimonies published by +972 and Local Call may shed light on how a modern military with advanced capabilities and precision weapons could still inflict significant casualties during warfare.

According to the testimonies, when targeting suspected Resistance fighters, the preference was to strike when they were believed to be present at their family's homes.

Four other people have been KILLED and several others WOUNDED in another #Israeli_bombing of Kherbet al Adas in #Rafah!#RafahUnderAttack #StopGazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/fa0xqRRkpL

— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) April 4, 2024

“We were not interested in killing [Hamas] operatives only when they were in a military building or engaged in a military activity,” one said. “It’s much easier to bomb a family’s home. The system is built to look for them in these situations.”

The strategy posed a risk of increased civilian casualties, and according to the sources, the IOF enforced predetermined limits on the acceptable number of civilian casualties in strikes targeting individual Resistance fighters. This ratio was reported to have evolved over time and differed based on the seniority of the target.

For amusement.
Not self defence.
Amusement.
Depraved bastards that they are.#IsraeliButchers

"Footage taken from IOF soldiers' social media accounts shows them joyfully & indiscriminately opening heavy fire at Palestinian residences in Gaza, seemingly for amusement."@QudsNen pic.twitter.com/vJj70QlmNQ

— redsarah99🇵🇸 #BlackLivesMatter🍉🍉 (@redsarah99) April 4, 2024

"No one thought about what to do afterward, when the war is over, or how it will be possible to live in Gaza,” one said.

“There was a dissonance: on the one hand, people here were frustrated that we were not attacking enough. On the other hand, you see at the end of the day that another thousand Gazans have died, most of them civilians,” one Israeli intelligence officer who used Lavender asserted.

Read more: Civilian deaths in Gaza top all 20th century wars: Israeli media

  • AI
  • Gaza Strip
  • war on Gaza
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Israeli aggression
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation forces
  • Gaza genocide
  • Israeli occupation
  • Lavender
  • Gaza
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Palestine will not be liberated by UN reports, but by pursuing a different strategic horizon: one that does not beg for recognition. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Economy of Genocide: Albanese's report accuses, but doesn't dismantle system

  • Opinion
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS