Israeli army rejects testimonies in film about AI in Gaza
The Israeli military said it categorically rejects the claims made in the documentary film “NAZA” about the use of artificial intelligence for the mass killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army also criticized the film’s use of anonymous testimonies.
Testimonies in the film
As Channel NewsAsia reports, the 80-minute Israeli film was made by filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It uses conversations with 24 people presented as whistleblowers from Israeli military or intelligence structures. They agreed to speak only on condition that their identities were protected.
Participants in the film, whose voices and faces were digitally altered, describe an artificial intelligence-based system called Lavender. According to them, the system used mass surveillance data in Gaza, including information on phone calls, movements and interactions between people, to identify individuals as targets.
The film also claims that the name “NAZA” derives from a euphemism used by Israeli intelligence to denote the expected number of civilians who could be killed as a result of an airstrike. According to AFP, the film’s premiere in Venice ended with a 25-minute standing ovation.
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Military position
The Israeli military said it cannot verify the identities of the film’s anonymous interviewees, nor whether they served in the army and in what capacity. The statement also said that the claims made in the film about national and military strategy allegedly go beyond the knowledge of lower-ranking servicemen.
The Israeli army claims that decisions on selecting and approving strikes are made only by humans, not artificial intelligence. The military also said it strikes terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas, in accordance with international law and the laws of armed conflict, and makes unprecedented efforts to minimize harm to civilians.
According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, at least 73,658 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli bombardments began in October 2023. AFP notes that the UN considers these figures reliable.
