Al-Zaytouna Centre has published a research paper, in Arabic, by Diya’ Na‘im al-Safadi and Hamza Ali Tayeh, titled “AI Programs Used in the Israeli War on Gaza: A New Erosion of International Law.”
The paper explores the AI technologies and programs deployed by Israel in its war on Gaza Strip (GS), focusing on how they were used to select targets and carry out deadly strikes. As of 8/1/2025, these systems had contributed to the killing of over 57,136 Palestinians. Rather than using such advanced tools to advance human progress, Israel has employed them in a campaign of genocide, what the authors describe as: “The more advanced one becomes, the more lethal one gets.”
This paper aims to clarify the relationship between systems and war, and to shed light on modern methods of genocide in the GS, with a focus on the software-based AI programs used by Israel, as well as the legal position regarding their use.
It also covers AI and modern warfare within the geographical scope of the GS, during the 7/10/2023–19/1/2025 period. The researchers adopted both descriptive-analytical and applied methodologies to analyze the AI programs used in the war and examine their implementation on the ground.
The paper first addressed the concept of AI, including its definition, key aspects of its significance, and future projections related to its development and use. It then examined the AI programs employed by Israel in its aggression against GS, explaining their nature, operational mechanisms, and direct impact on civilians. Finally, it discussed the stance of international law regarding the use of AI systems in armed conflicts, highlighting the legislative gaps in keeping pace with this type of technological advancement.
The study revealed that the AI systems used by Israel in its war on GS fall into two categories: physical systems, such as robots and drones, and software, like the programs “The Gospel,” “Lavender,” and “Where’s Daddy.” These weapons have been shown to be used indiscriminately, carrying out killings without distinguishing between civilian and military targets, thus violating international humanitarian law. Furthermore, although the software is classified as intelligent systems, it in fact causes civilians to be mistakenly targeted as military objectives, undermining its claim to intelligence. The study also points to a clear gap in international law when it comes to regulating these advanced systems, alongside a lack of appropriate legislation to control their use.
The study recommends urgently establishing an international legal framework to regulate the use of AI systems in the military domain, ensuring their compliance with international humanitarian law and minimizing their random and dangerous impacts. It also calls for creating a specialized international body to monitor and guide AI usage, setting clear rules for its deployment, especially during conflicts. The study underscores the importance of heeding the call of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to adopt an international treaty banning lethal autonomous weapon systems and regulating all independent systems used without human supervision, including AI software, rather than limiting regulation to physical weapons alone, given the serious humanitarian and legal risks involved.
| Click here to download: >> Academic Paper: AI Programs Used in the Israeli War on Gaza: A New Erosion of International Law … Diya’ Na‘im al-Safadi and Hamza Ali Tayeh (Arabic) (34 pages, 3.2 MB) |
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