IDF rejects testimonies in documentary about AI-powered civilian killings in Gaza

The Israeli military says it “categorically rejects” allegations made in a new documentary about Israel’s purported AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza, which received a 25-minute ovation at its premiere in Venice the day before.

The Israeli-made film “NAZA” uses conversations with 24 different Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke on condition that their identities be protected, with interviewees describing how they felt like they worked in a killing “factory” or a lethal video game.

The IDF denied this depiction, and said decisions on the selection and approval of strikes were made “by human personnel only… and not by artificial intelligence.”

The chilling 80-minute documentary comes from Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, with Abraham telling AFP the goal was to “hear in as much detail as possible, how the systems of killing in Gaza looked like, how they operated.”

NAZA draws its name from a Hebrew acronym meaning collateral damage.

The Israeli military criticizes the use of anonymous testimonies in the film, saying the identities of the whistleblowers “cannot be verified,” including whether they served in the military or in what capacity.

“The excerpts cited include claims regarding national and military strategy that are clearly beyond the knowledge of junior-level soldiers,” it adds in a statement.

The men and women featured in “NAZA”, speaking on the nighttime rooftops of Tel Aviv with their voices and faces digitally altered, detail an AI-powered system known as “Lavender” that was used to identify people for assassination.

“Lavender” uses data from the mass surveillance of Gaza, where the entire telecommunications network is monitored by Israel, to identify targets based on their phone calls, movements and interactions.

Interviewees describe the systematic destruction of civilian homes, the disregard for war and humanitarian laws, and a “general atmosphere” of “hatred” towards Palestinians.

“It’s like a video game because everything is done remotely,” one interviewee involved in identifying targets says at one point.

Another describes it as “insanely fun.”

The Israeli military says that decisions regarding the selection and approval of strikes were made “by human personnel only… and not by artificial intelligence.”

It says it targets “terrorist organizations, foremost among them Hamas, in accordance with international law and the laws of armed conflict,” adding that it “makes unprecedented efforts to minimize harm to civilians.”

It has denied Abraham’s reporting on the matter in the past, saying that it lacks “fundamental military understanding.”