DayofPal– The Israeli army is building an artificial intelligence (AI) language model, similar to ChatGPT, designed to significantly increase its surveillance of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
According to a joint investigation by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian, the AI tool is being developed by Israel’s elite Unit 8200, a military intelligence division known for its cyber warfare operations.
The tool, a large language model (LLM), is being trained using millions of intercepted Arabic conversations, collected as part of Israel’s extensive surveillance of Palestinians in the occupied territories. This military-grade model uses highly personal data from Palestinians’ everyday interactions.
This technology could accelerate the arrest and incrimination process of Palestinians by analyzing even casual, mundane conversations between Palestinians, conversations that hold little immediate intelligence value but serve as critical data for AI training.
An anonymous Israeli security source described the tool’s potential: “It allows us to track human rights activists, monitor Palestinian construction, and control the population on a much larger scale.”
The surveillance could even extend to controlling daily life under occupation, with AI tools efficiently sifting through vast datasets to spot people who might engage in protests against Israel.
This new builds upon Israel’s previous use of AI, including systems that help create “kill lists.” These models have already been used in controversial military operations, such as targeting Palestinians for drone strikes based on AI-generated suspicions.
With AI’s capacity to handle more complex data, analysts believe it could eventually replace human intelligence officers, rapidly providing lists for arrest, even as some experts warn that AI’s “hallucinations” or mistakes could lead to wrongful incriminations.
The scale of this surveillance is troubling human rights advocates. Zach Campbell of Human Rights Watch voiced concerns over the potential abuse of these AI tools, warning that AI-driven decisions could disproportionately target Palestinians without proper oversight.
Similarly, Palestinian digital rights advocate Nadim Nashif expressed alarm over the use of AI as a weapon to maintain the occupation, viewing it as a grave violation of digital rights.
In an environment where administrative detention, imprisonment without trial, is often justified by vague suspicion, the introduction of such AI technologies could lead to even more frequent and arbitrary arrests.
Despite concerns, Israeli intelligence sources are not focused on the accuracy of these AI models but rather on their scope. With the ability to sift through mountains of data and rapidly identify people, the army has found a tool that could dramatically expand its control over Palestinian life.
As AI continues to shape modern warfare and surveillance tactics, the implications for privacy, freedom, and human rights in occupied territories remain a growing concern.
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