Israel has been using artificial intelligence (AI) in its military operations in the Gaza Strip. The IDF’s Unit 8200 has developed AI tools to help with targeted strikes and locating hostages. In late 2023, Israel used AI to find and kill Ibrahim Biari, a top Hamas commander.
Israeli intelligence could not locate Biari, so they turned to a new AI audio tool. The tool helped them intercept Biari’s calls and figure out where he was. Israel then ordered airstrikes on that area on October 31, 2023.
The NYT, reporting on Israel's use of AI in war, says many of the efforts were a partnership between enlisted soldiers and reserve soldiers who work at tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Meta. https://t.co/DCpZ9bdVCN
— Lara Korte (@lara_korte) April 25, 2025
The strikes killed Biari and more than 125 civilians, according to Airwars, a conflict monitor based in London. This was one of the first times Israel used the Gaza conflict to test advanced AI military technologies. Israel has also used AI with facial recognition software to identify partly hidden or injured faces.
Israel’s A.I. Experiments in Gaza War Raise Ethical Concerns
Israel developed new artificial intelligence tools to gain an advantage in the war. The technologies have sometimes led to fatal consequences https://t.co/V9ULbkAIRT via @NYTimes— Paul Triolo (@pstAsiatech) April 26, 2025
They have used AI to make lists of potential airstrike targets.
Superb piece on how AI is being used by Israel for targeting, mass murder in Gaza and how little or no accountability is possible in the system. https://t.co/FSrA7HoZZQ
— Abbas Nasir (@abbasnasir59) April 26, 2025
And they have made an Arabic-language AI model for a chatbot that analyzes text messages, social media posts, and other data. These developments raise ethical concerns about using AI in war.
There are worries about the potential for civilian harm.
Ai’s role in Gaza conflict
There are also concerns about how fast military technologies are advancing with limited oversight.
The AI technology was key in finding Biari, whose location was hard to pin down early in the conflict. Israeli officials said the AI tools were improved over time to better track hostages. The IDF said the strike that killed Biari also killed 50 other terrorists in November 2023.
Unit 8200 soldiers worked with IDF reservists from tech companies like Google and Microsoft to develop these AI tools. Google said these efforts were separate from the company’s work. Israel also used AI to track reactions in the Arab world to the death of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah.
The use of AI in war has raised ethical concerns. The technology has sometimes led to civilian deaths due to mistaken identifications. Hadas Lorber, a former Israeli National Security Council official, said this technology “raises serious ethical questions.”
The IDF said it is committed to using data technology tools lawfully and responsibly.
Reports from April 2023 said the military used AI to quickly update their list of Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists to target during military operations. Unit 8200 continues to give the army and the state important alerts and warnings to protect Israel from terrorist threats. But the powerful AI tools they are using need to be deployed carefully and with consideration of the ethical and humanitarian impacts.
Image Credits: Photo by UX Gun on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
