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
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street

"Israel" using Palestinians as 'guinea pigs' for weapon testing

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: MintPress News
  • 15 Oct 2022 14:51
  • 7 Shares
5 Min Read

Smart Shooter has developed an automatic weapon designed to kill 'smart' - the testing field? Palestinian civilians.

  • x
  • Palestinians 'guinea pigs' for weapon testing, surveillance
    Smart Shooter's automatic shooter system, installed at a checkpoint in Al-Khalil, occupied Palestine.

The Israeli occupation forces have been installing an automatic weapon, developed by Smart Shooter, at a heavily-trafficked checkpoint in Al-Khalil, West Bank, in September. 

The occupation forces claim that the device is only capable of firing sponge-tipped bullets, with hopes by the IOF that the bullets will be used to test approved crowd dispersal methods. 

Palestinians, following the development of this weapon, are now being used as guinea pigs for the occupation authorities to market Israeli military technology that is "field-tested" to be sold abroad. 

The weapon was installed in Al-Shuhada Street, which was once an area buzzing with life and vibrance. Now, the street is an occupation stronghold, after Israeli settlers shut down the road in 1994, following the massacre of 29 worshippers at the Ibrahimi mosque carried out by Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli-American settler. It was then declared a closed military area. 

The area is home to 200 families, with 300 families passing through the checkpoint every day, according to Issa Amro, a resident in Al-Khalil. 

Amro argues that the area is not a security threat: “There is no security need to install this automatic weapon there,” he told MintPress News. “There is no violence. The checkpoint is well-protected with many fences, doors, and gates.”

Though the weapon will not shoot live fire, sponge-tipped bullets have been proven deadly. Numerous Palestinians have been severely injured by the weapon, with some losing their eyes in the violence, in addition to others being killed.

Amro passes by the checkpoint every day - he worries about the weapon's machine failure. “I’m afraid every time I pass [through this checkpoint] that this weapon is pointing at me, pointing at children, or women,” he said. “People are terrified.”

Palestinians... as training objects 

“Israeli security companies use Palestinians as training objects,” Amro said, adding that the IOF practice "their new technology [on Palestinians] to check if it’s working or not, then they sell it to other countries.”

According to Smart Shooter's website, the company uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision to develop traditional weapons into smart weapons.

Related News

'Israel' seizes more land in al-Khalil for settler road

Israeli forces kill Palestinian amid wide raids, arrests in West Bank

"One shot, one hit" is the company's slogan. This poses as an indication of the precision of the aim, with smart weapons capable of shooting moving objects with precision.

Smart Shooter holds a number of contracts with foreign militaries, including the Israeli occupation forces, the US Department of Defense, the US Marine Corps, the Dutch army, the Indian navy, the German army and more. The company's tech was also selected for a NATO Defense Against Terrorism Program of Work drill in 2020. Singapore's army, in addition, is testing the weapon. 

The weapon, in addition, was displayed in a number of conferences around the world including the United Arab Emirates, Greece, England, France, Spain, Germany, and Poland. Australia and the Czech Republic will also see the weapon in their exhibitions later on. 

Read next: Israeli weapons industries profited $3 billion from Arab states: WSJ

The company is also recruiting marketing directors to lead its businesses in India and Central Asia, which entails that it will also be expanding its tentacles on the continent.

Founded by Michal Mor and Avshalom Ehrlich, Smart Shooter's executive management is made up of Israeli weapons industry veterans. The founders have both previously worked at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. 

The vice president of business development, Abraham Mazor, and the vice president of research and development, Sharone Aloni, have worked at Elbit systems and the Israeli Air Force previously. 

In addition, Scott Thompson, the company's vice president and general manager of US operations, also worked in Israel Aerospace Industries. 

Nitsan Alon, who has been previously serving as Major General in the Israeli army for over 30 years, is also on the board of directors.

Surveillance 

About 1,000 cameras have been installed in Al-Quds, the West Bank, to detect objects with 10% of the cameras connected to data-analyzing servers.

The cameras which use artificial intelligence are used to identify Palestinians without checking IDs. Blue Wolf, an Israeli espionage technology, collects images of Palestinians' faces through smartphone technology. 

The smartphone app comes from Wolf Pack, a more extensive project designed to profile every Palestinian in the West Bank based on their family history, education and 'security rating.'

Blue Wolf captures photos of Palestinians' faces and matches them to a database of images so extensive that one former occupation soldier described it as the army's secret "Facebook for Palestinians."

A colony built on mass surveillance and military violence, in which an occupier has to kill to retain a piece of land, is not a land the occupier can maintain its grip on. Palestinians are increasingly becoming victims of the weapons industry, which continues to develop more advanced ways to commit systemic murder. 

  • Al-Khalil
  • Palestine
  • Israel
  • MintPress News

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

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