“The other day, I read a great news article from the Israeli-Palestinian joint magazine Plus-9-7-2 and Local Call. The story is about how the Israeli military is using artificial intelligence to identify bombing targets in the Gaza Strip. The report names six Israeli intelligence officials involved in an alleged AI program called Lavender. What he told reporter Yuval Abraham was truly horrifying.
So one source told me it would take about 20 seconds to authorize each target. And the only oversight he had to make was to see if the unmarked machine's target was male or female.
The program reportedly determines how likely a target is to be affiliated with Hamas or the military wing of Islamic Jihad. The problem, Abraham says, is that it's not entirely accurate. This means that some people are marked as potential targets for bombings, even if they have only tenuous or no connections to Hamas.
And they knew that the oversight mechanisms in place would not catch all of these mistakes.
Now, the Israel Defense Forces did not deny the use of AI on the battlefield, but in the citation, contrary to claims, the Israel Defense Forces did not deny the use of AI on the battlefield. He said he did not use it. terrorist. Information systems are only tools for analysts in the process of identifying targets.
The IDF says that even if AI is used, analysts must conduct independent investigations to ensure that targets meet certain standards under international law. However, it is also subject to IDF's own limitations.
But let's not forget that on the other side of the bombs falling from the sky, Israeli forces are still on the ground, actively participating in the fight against Hamas, in which innocent civilians are implicated. That's true. This situation has been going on for half a year now. But that picture appears to be changing.
In reality, four IDF soldiers were killed in Hamas attacks during the retreat, and Hamas is still firing rockets.
What does a military withdrawal from southern Gaza really mean for the future of the war? From CNN, it's Tug of War. I'm David Lind.
CNN International Diplomacy Editor Nick Robertson is back. He is in Jerusalem. So, Nick, late last week, after the death of the Central Kitchen of the World employee, President Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And he basically issued an ultimatum, change the way things are going in Gaza, or we may have to adjust our support to you in the war. Since then, we have actually seen many changes in Israel. Can you tell me what's going on?
One of the most important changes was the White House's expectation that Netanyahu would open a border crossing in northern Gaza. This is something the US has been asking for for months. And almost immediately after that phone call, the decision was made and it was announced that Eller's Crossing would be open. And on Sunday we were told it would open within 48 hours. we went there on saturday. There was still shooting. There were still explosions, but there was no sign of the truck passing. And indeed, by Monday, the Israeli government said it could not open border crossings so quickly given the logistical implications. But they ramped up their efforts on Sunday and Monday, making two of the biggest daily aid deliveries to Gaza with more than 300 trucks. And even the State Department confirmed that more than 300 aid trucks were entering Gaza on Monday. So it's a huge step up.
However, it is still not at the pre-October 7th level.
Before Oct. 7, there would be about 450 trucks. But it was a significant increase and these were the highest numbers. So I think if you try to judge the pressure that President Biden has put on Prime Minister Netanyahu, this seems to be one of the results. And another outcome appears to be the withdrawal of the 98th Division from Honduras. They have been there for four months. And the Israel Defense Forces announced that this marks a change in ground operations in Gaza.
But how do we read such a move, and is it an actual military success? Is it a Biden push or are they repositioning and replenishing ahead of some other military action?
I think there are many things. It does not represent military success. The IDF tried to disguise that. The government is trying to disguise the fact that its soldiers did a good job, destroying Hamas tunnels and destroying weapons stockpiles. In reality, four IDF soldiers were killed in Hamas attacks while they were retreating, and Hamas is still able to fire rockets from the area, which has continued in recent days. In other words, Hamas is not gone. The IDF was unable to defeat senior commanders. All in all, this is political and mandatory. The prime minister is under pressure to strike a deal to rescue the hostages. It's not clear if this helps in that way. And militarily, the soldiers in it were doing very long rotations, probably much longer than expected. Their equipment needed repair. And the Israel Defense Forces have made it clear that the war is not over yet. Although they are not in Khan Yunis, they maintain a significant number of troops in Gaza. And they are preparing other units for future operations.
That includes people like Rafa, but is that happening?
The Prime Minister says he has a date with Rafa.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
00:05:56
Members of Iof Hamas, including Rafik. There are no forces in the world that can stop us. There are many forces trying to do that…
He just told the recruits, “No, no country in the world is going to stop the Israeli army from rushing into Rafah and capturing Hamas and the troops and battalions that we believe are still there.” absolutely. The Prime Minister made it very clear that they were going to enter Rafah. This is at odds with the pressure the US is putting on Israel to come up with a plan to secure civilians around Rafah.
After the break, we'll continue with Nick. Welcome to the tug of war. I'm here with CNN's Nick Robertson. As for the aid crossing, let's be real, Israel did not reopen Erez. Out of the goodness of their hearts. right. It feels like a whole six months have passed. And with this horrific attack on World Central Kitchen, they were able to force what aid groups say should have been the absolute bare minimum from the beginning. So, how much do you think this will actually improve the situation on the ground?
It is not clear whether or to what extent it will improve the situation in northern Gaza. Remembering the mistake is the crossing into northern Gaza, and that's what matters. Because the other crossings are in the south, and it is in the north that food is very scarce. An estimated 300,000 people, including children, are on the verge of starvation in the north.
That means it's literally closer to the population that needs it most. That's how it is.
Important thing. That's what's important. That hasn't happened yet. And that pressure has been going on for months and months. This did not happen because the Israeli prime minister wanted it to happen. It happened because the American president wanted it to happen.
You and I spoke a few months ago after you entered Khan Yunis with IDF incorporation. So what about the people of Gaza who lived on onions before the war? Will they ever come back at this point?
It's complete destruction. We sent photographers living in Gaza to Khan Younis on Monday to talk to people returning home, and their testimonies here are both tiresome to listen to and to read.
Too many people are returning to their homes that have been reduced to rubble, searching for clothes, searching for missing people, and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives. People spent years building homes and businesses with all their savings.
At the time, a young girl was on the street with her brother, who had returned home to collect some clothes from the rubble of a building. And she said, “Look, we found this toy, and it means so much to us.” This little girl and our little brother, who was probably only 4 or 5 years old, and she said she found this little plastic rubber toy. But it means a lot to us because it reminds us of home. But that's all they have. Yet another elderly gentleman pointed to a dilapidated apartment with a burnt-out refrigerator and washing machine and twisted concrete. Many homes were destroyed. People have returned to the ruins of their homes and lives.
Yeah. To add insult to injury, a photo was circulated showing the words “Gaza is for Jews” written in Arabic on the wall of one of the destroyed buildings. thank you.
Tug of War is a production of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Paola Ortiz, myself, and David Lind. Our senior producer is Haley Thomas. Dan Dzula is our technical director and Steve Lickteig is our CNN Audio executive producer. Support is provided by Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, John Dianora, Lenni Steinhart, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru, and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to Caroline Patterson, Michael Schwartz, Gul Tuysuz, and Katie Hinman. I'll be back on Friday. Then please talk.
