Breaking the Silence: " The IDF delegated target identification to an AI system, a deeply problematic step in itself. This enabled the military to carry out strikes at an unprecedented pace. Combined with the IDF’s extremely permissive collateral damage policy, this sent the death toll in Gaza skyrocketing. "

Breaking the Silence

@BtSIsrael

 

The IDF's AI-generated assassination list. Now that everyone is talking about NAZA, the Hebrew acronym for “collateral damage,” let’s talk about how the IDF identified some of the targets for these strikes. 

 

This soldier gave us testimony about some of the crucial policies behind the astronomical death toll in Gaza. 

 

 The IDF delegated target identification to an AI system, a deeply problematic step in itself. This enabled the military to carry out strikes at an unprecedented pace. Combined with the IDF’s extremely permissive collateral damage policy, this sent the death toll in Gaza skyrocketing. 

 

The IDF allowed up to 20 civilians to be killed as collateral damage for every low-ranking Hamas operative targeted, whether a militant or a truck driver. This threshold could be raised dramatically when a senior Hamas member was the target.  

 

Testimony: “We worked with an artificial intelligence system, ‘Lavendar.’ They developed technological capabilities to establish that they (Hamas operatives) exist and they’re present there, and they expanded it (the identification of wanted people) to include anyone that you could somehow say belonged to Hamas.”  

 

Interviewer: What does belong to Hamas mean? "AI-[generated] things plus a few verifications that it’s actually the person [in question]."  “You’re genuinely targeting someone from the military wing, [but] how significant is he really? There’s a question mark over that. Let’s say, even if he is a fighter, would you now take down twenty people for a fighter? [...] [If] the person isn’t in a combat position, or say, a fighter is now fleeing to the south of the [Gaza] Strip, do I really need to go and kill him?” 

 

 Allowing such a high death toll in advance proved to be devastatingly destructive, and it is also deeply dehumanising. Palestinian lives are cheapened to the point where the killing of over a dozen people can be routinely sanitised under the label of “collateral damage.”

 https://x.com/BtSIsrael/status/2103103416062886316/photo/1

Find more testimonies from soldiers who have served in the occupied Palestinian territories on our website. Since 2004, we have collected, verified, and published thousands of testimonies.

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https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/testimonies/database/199893 

breakingthesilence.org.il

Breaking the Silence › Testimony › The enemy is finite

 

A year after Israeli strikes killed journalists at a hospital, no one has been held accountable

 

West Bank siege exposes Israel army inaction on settler violence

 

'Lords of the Land': Israeli Soldiers Describe How Settlers Manage Military Reality in the West Bank

 

I Joined Rep. Ro Khanna on His West Bank Visit. Here's What I Saw

The collaboration between the Israeli army and the most extreme and violent settlers is not a new phenomenon – we at Breaking the Silence have been documenting it for years. It's an omnipresent characteristic of the occupation. Anyone who has served in the occupied territories knows that settlers are an integral part of the mechanism of control over Palestinians. 

Settler-only IDF units functioning as ‘vigilante militias’ in West Bank

The hagmar system had led to “the establishment of what are effectively settler militias within the IDF’s own ranks”, said Nadav Weiman, the executive director of Breaking the Silence, an advocacy group for former Israeli soldiers. “These soldier-settlers are driven by a violent, zero-sum ideology, and have all the authority of regular IDF soldiers to put that ideology into action.”

 

‘To call it a ceasefire is a joke': Israeli soldiers share rare accounts from Gaza with AP

Israel’s military has said most of the people killed crossing the line posed a threat to troops. But soldiers who spoke to AP and Breaking the Silence — the whistleblower group that has collected troops’ testimonies throughout the war — say that at times soldiers were too far away, acting too quickly and under too much pressure to tell.

Israel's 'retrospective incrimination: First we shoot, we kill & then find a reason why it happened

"Archaeology has become yet another mechanism of oppression, alongside settler and military violence, movement restrictions, and daily dispossession. And while Palestinian communities resist with the few means available to them, Israeli archaeologists continue to legitimize and advance these forces. If Israeli archaeologists wish to maintain their academic legitimacy — and, more importantly, cease participating in an unethical project of colonial domination — they must heed the warnings of their international peers and reject the state’s cynical exploitation of their profession."

 Israel preparing largest ever act of ‘archeological cleansing’ in West Bank

Subordinating scientific value to colonial expansion, Israeli archeologists are putting up no resistance as the state moves to expropriate swaths of Sebastia.

By Alon Arad December 11, 2025

 

Graffiti sprayed on ancient archeological artifacts, in Sebastia, near the West Bank city of Nablus, May 12, 2025. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

https://www.972mag.com/sebastia-archeological-cleansing-west-bank/

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... On Nov. 19, Israel’s Civil Administration announced plans to expropriate 550 of Sebastia’s private plots — approximately 1,800 dunams (450 acres) of land that have been central to the village’s livelihood, cultural heritage, and identity for centuries. Residents say the project will devastate local agriculture, including destroying some 3,000 olive trees, some of which are hundreds of years old.

Sebastia is, undeniably, a multi-layered archaeological site of extraordinary value. Once the Iron Age city of Samaria, capital of the Kingdom of Israel, it contains remnants of King Ahab’s palace that were unearthed in the 1930s. In the first century BCE, King Herod of the Kingdom of Judea rebuilt the city, leaving behind a temple honoring his friend, Roman Emperor Augustus, near the older ruins. A well-preserved Roman theater, Byzantine church, and other antiquities have also been uncovered in the area.

But Sebastia’s archeological significance only sharpens the political contradiction at hand: While the site merits careful study, the gulf between the ethical commitments claimed by Israeli archaeologists and the state violence carried out in archaeology’s name to justify steps toward annexing the West Bank has never been more stark.

Israel’s takeover of Sebastia — its largest ever land expropriation for antiquities — began in May 2023, when the government allocated NIS 32 million for the site’s “restoration and development.” The campaign escalated in July 2024, when the military seized the summit of Tel Sebastia (the village’s highest point, home to its most significant archaeological remains) citing vague “security concerns.” Soon after, the government signaled plans to take over even more of the village. 

Palestinian residents — together with Emek Shaveh, the organization I direct — filed a formal objection with the Civil Administration, arguing that international law prohibits the use of cultural property for military purposes. The challenge was ultimately rejected.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu celebrated the expropriation online. “We will no longer hand over our inheritance to murderers,” he wrote on X last month. Eliyahu, a prominent advocate of West Bank annexation and Jewish resettlement in Gaza, added: “This is our historic homeland; we will never leave this place.”

Though the area currently targeted for excavation lies technically within Area C (under full Israeli control) and most of Sebastia’s built-up village falls within Area B (under Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control), in practice the two zones form a single, continuous landscape. The village’s own antiquities are historically and culturally inseparable from those situated in Area C.

The new expropriation plan threatens to rupture that connection entirely. It envisions diverting Israeli visitors along a road settlers intend to build that bypasses the Palestinian village altogether, and includes constructing a visitor center, fencing off the archaeological zone, and charging entrance fees. If carried out, these measures would effectively cut Sebastia’s residents off from their land and heritage.

Archaeology in service of annexation

Israel’s use of archaeology to facilitate the takeover of Palestinian land — a practice that can aptly be described as “archaeological cleansing” — long predates Sebastia. For decades, the state has deployed this strategy both within the 1948 borders and across the West Bank: in East Jerusalem’s City of David park, in the village of Susya in the South Hebron Hills, in the Nabi Samwil national park, in Shiloh, and in numerous other sites. ... READ MORE 

  https://www.972mag.com/sebastia-archeological-cleansing-west-bank/

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Balasan is the name in Arabic for a native tree that has existed in Palestine for thousands of years, which leaves were used to extract a healing balm to cure wounds and illnesses. The name is inspired by the vision that the respect for human rights and justice are a cure needed to end violations and suffering, and restore the humanity and dignity of all people.

Update: Alarming Escalation of Israeli Soldiers’ Looting during Raids in the West Bank

August 27, 2025

Since 7 October 2023, as Israel escalated its militarization of the occupied West Bank, a disturbing and largely under-reported pattern has emerged: Israeli soldiers, under the cover of military raids and operations, have been systematically looting Palestinian homes, shops, and personal property. Beyond the violence of forced entry and arbitrary arrest, soldiers have stolen cash, gold, vehicles, and other valuables; often targeting families already reeling from destruction and displacement. The frequency and recurrence of such incidents reflect systemic practice occurring alongside the violent and intrusive raids themselves.

Reports from communities across the West Bank indicate that looting has become a routine part of Israeli military raids. For instance, in Kafr Malik, during the Muslim holiday of “Eid al-Adha” in July 2025, soldiers confiscated approximately 500,000 shekels in cash and jewelry from homes, along with several vehicles [1]. In the same month, in Ya’bad, residents reported over 100 families were robbed in a single day as soldiers moved from house to house, taking valuables and damaging property. Victims recount soldiers emptying safes, seizing IDs, and leaving families without vital documents or resources [2].

Since the Israeli army does not hold a unit’s actions accountable for the looting that occurs during their raids and operations [3], it labels every West Bank raid as a “counter-terror operation,” and every home is, as such, presumed to be a terrorist site [4]. Thus, justifying the looting of valuables under the notion that the valuables are “terror money” [5].

More recently, on 26 August 2026, the Israeli army raided the city of Ramallah, injuring 58 Palestinians; 14 were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and 31 suffered tear gas inhalation [6]. The Israeli police spokesman stated that the army has seized roughly 1.5 million shekels ($447,000) of “terror funds” [7]. This claim was left without any form of evidence, thus granting immunity for any future forced acquisition of money and valuables as “terror-funds.”

Below are testimonies of families from the town of Husan, west of the Bethlehem Governorate, reporting cases of looting that occurred over the past few months:

Testimony 1 – Wife of Detainee –  Resident of Husan (A01):

“We were all celebrating my father’s return from Hajj, when we were raided at 11:00 P.M. There were 20 to 30 soldiers who entered our home and yelled angrily for us not to move or speak. The soldiers then split up their unit and scattered throughout the house, checking every corner of every drawer and cabinet.

They even unfolded our socks and had laid them flat all over the bed, ensuring we didn’t hide our gold necklaces inside our clothing cabinets. 

After 3 hours, the soldiers finally left our home, and we then returned to check on our rooms, only to find that all of our gold jewelry and cash were missing. They took all of our loose cash, even the coins!”

Testimony 2 – Wife – Resident of Husan (A02):

“We were not sure why the soldiers parked their armored cars in front of our house, but we knew we were their next target. The soldier collected our IDs and had the entire family seated in the living room. His unit dispersed to our bedroom first, as if they knew exactly what they were looking for. 

The unit’s captain had my husband escorted by 6 soldiers who then went to our kitchen, and had my husband reveal the gold we had hidden in our meat freezer. They clearly were experts and knew that [people in our town] hid their gold in freezers and in the garden!

My husband had given me 2,600 shekels that day to spend on things for the family; there was no trace of the cash anymore – it was all gone.”

These illegal looting practices are part of a broader escalation in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, marked by increased settler violence, intensified military raids, and sweeping movement restrictions. According to UN OCHA, 2024 alone saw over 1,400 incidents of settler violence, many of which coincided with or followed military raids, creating conditions in which looting and destruction of property became normalized [8]. Looting serves both as an economic blow and as a tool of coercion, deepening the already volatile living conditions for Palestinians and pushing more families toward displacement.

The material losses are devastating for affected families, many of whom rely on seasonal incomes or small-scale local businesses to survive. One resident of Kafr Malik described the raid on his home: “They emptied our safe, took our car, even our IDs, and no one will hold them accountable” [9]. Such crimes are rarely investigated by Israeli authorities, reinforcing a climate of impunity that encourages further violations.

These instances of looting serve a larger policy of economic disintegration and territorial control... READ MORE  https://balasan.org/update-alarming-escalation-of-israeli-soldiers-looting-during-raids-in-the-west-bank/

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3 Maps: Gaza Strip Blockade before Oct. 7, 2023 + Permanently Staffed Israeli Checkpoints and Crossings in the West Bank by 2010 + In 2002, Israel started constructing a land grabbing Apartheid wall, slicing through Palestinian communities, agricultural fields, and farmland

Gaza Strip Blockade before Oct. 7, 2023- Four days after Hamas' assault on Israel, the army has tightened its 2007 blockade into a 'complete siege' of the Gaza enclave.

 

The West Bank PALESTINE has been illegally occupied [& strangled] by Israel since 1967

Permanently Staffed Israeli Checkpoints and Crossings in the West Bank

Permanently Staffed Israeli Checkpoints and Crossings in the West Bank  OCHA map (As of May 2010) https://www.un.org/unispal/permanently-staffed-israeli-checkpoints-and-crossings-in-the-west-bank-ocha-map-as-of-may-2010/

About 85 percent of the Israeli built APARTHEID WALL falls within the West Bank rather than running along the internationally recognized 1967 boundary, known as the Green Line. [Al Jazeera]

Palestinian farmers harvest their olives in the southern West Bank village of the monastery of Samet, near the Israeli separation wall in Hebron.  

“Stop the clock on madness”: UN expert appeals to States after Israeli Army's Gaza aid distribution shootings- “It is a deliberate strategy – aimed at masking atrocities, displacing the displaced, bombing the bombarded, burning Palestinians alive and maiming survivors,” Albanese warned. “All camouflaged behind the language of aid, to divert international attention from legal accountability, in Israel’s attempt to dismantle the very principles upon which humanitarian law was built.”

UN Special Procedures

@UN_SPExperts

UN expert

@FranceskAlbs

appeals to States to ‘stop the clock on madness’ after #Gaza aid distribution shootings, reiterating her call for sanctions and arms embargo to hold #Israel accountable. “The time to save life is shrinking”.

 30 May 2025

GENEVA – The international community must stop the clock on continued and deliberate misuse of humanitarian language and mechanisms by Israel aimed at obscuring and facilitating the commission of atrocity crimes in Gaza, a UN expert said today.

“We continue to witness a brutal humanitarian camouflage, where the red lines have led to massive atrocities. Israel pretends to promote humanitarian solutions in order to continue its control of Gaza and sustain its systematic denial of life-saving humanitarian aid to the starving population in the besieged strip,” said Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“It is a deliberate strategy – aimed at masking atrocities, displacing the displaced, bombing the bombarded, burning Palestinians alive and maiming survivors,” Albanese warned. “All camouflaged behind the language of aid, to divert international attention from legal accountability, in Israel’s attempt to dismantle the very principles upon which humanitarian law was built.”

Albanese echoed concerns by the UN and other humanitarian actors about the Israeli aid system and the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – a body backed by Israel and the United States to distribute aid under a system of full military control. The proposal has been criticised for failing to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.

On 27 May, thousands of Palestinian flocked towards the foundation's distribution sites to receive food packages after several days without food.

“Within hours, horrifying images and videos emerged from Gaza demonstrating how this mechanism functions and how the Israeli army fired on unarmed Palestinian civilians. It seems that there is no limit to Israel's actions,” the expert said.

At least 3 people were killed and 46 injured and seven went missing according to authorities in Gaza.... READ MORE https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/stop-clock-madness-un-expert-appeals-states-after-gaza-aid-distribution

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Healthcare workers are protected under international law yet hundreds were detained during the Israel's war on Gaza. Now, some of Gaza’s most senior doctors have spoken of the violence and abuse they say they faced

 Doctors in detention

‘No rules’: Gaza’s doctors say they were tortured, beaten and humiliated in Israeli detention

By Annie Kelly, Hoda Osman and Farah Jallad

Healthcare workers are protected under international law yet hundreds were detained during the war. Now, some of Gaza’s most senior doctors have spoken of the violence and abuse they say they faced

• More than 160 Gazan medics held in Israeli prisons amid reports of torture

Dr Issam Abu Ajwa was in the middle of performing emergency surgery on a patient with a severe abdominal injury at al-Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza when the soldiers came for him.

“I asked them what they were doing coming into the operating theatre,” he says. “One of the soldiers pointed at me and said: ‘Are you Dr Issam Abu Ajwa?’ I said: ‘Yes, that’s me.’ And then the beating began.”

Still in his surgeons’ scrubs, the 63-year-old Abu Ajwa says he was dragged from the operating room before being handcuffed, blindfolded and stripped.

He was then put in a military truck with other doctors, nurses and medical staff and driven away from the hospital. Less than 24 hours later he was in a detention facility in Israel, beginning what he describes as months of brutal and constant violence and abuse.

“There were no rules,” he says.

During interrogations, he says he was tortured and beaten... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/25/israel-gaza-doctors-surgeons-healthcare-detention-international-law

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Revealed: Microsoft deepened ties with Israeli military to provide tech support during Gaza war- Leaked documents shed light on how Israel integrated the US tech giant into its war effort to meet growing demand for cloud and AI tools

Revealed: Microsoft deepened ties with Israeli military to provide tech support during Gaza war- Illustration: Guardian Design

Harry Davies and Yuval Abraham in Jerusalem

Thu 23 Jan 2025 06.00 EST

The Israeli military’s reliance on Microsoft’s cloud technology and artificial intelligence systems surged during the most intensive phase of its bombardment of Gaza, leaked documents reveal.

The files offer an inside view of how Microsoft deepened its relationship with Israel’s defence establishment after 7 October 2023, supplying the military with greater computing and storage services and striking at least $10m in deals to provide thousands of hours of technical support.

Microsoft’s deep ties with Israel’s military are revealed in an investigation by the Guardian with the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and a Hebrew-language outlet, Local Call. It is based in part on documents obtained by Drop Site News, which has published its own story.

The investigation, which also draws on interviews with sources from across Israel’s defence and intelligence establishment, sheds new light on how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) turned to major US tech companies to meet the technological demands of war.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/23/israeli-military-gaza-war-microsoft?CMP=share_btn_url

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Never Forget! Hind Rajab- a little 5 year old Palestinian girl hit by 355 bullets fired by Israel's IDF in Gaza

 

Could Other Countries Prosecute Soldiers in Gaza? A growing legal movement has turned to the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows national courts to take on war-crimes cases, regardless of where those crimes were committed or the nationality of the perpetrator.

By Annie Hylton

 January 11, 2025  in The New Yorker

Last spring, a video spread across social media. Filmed at night, it shows several soldiers in olive-green army fatigues transporting a group of prisoners. The captured men wear white jumpsuits and blindfolds, and they have their hands tied behind their backs. The person holding the camera begins to narrate, in French, “Did you see those motherfuckers?” Referring to a prisoner whose jumpsuit has fallen to his waist, he says, “Look, he’s pissed himself. . . . I will show you his back. You’ll laugh. They tortured him to make him talk.” In a separate clip, he points the camera at the men, including one with marks on his back, and says, “You were happy on October 7th, you sons of bitches?”

A group of European and Palestinian human-rights organizations allege that the video was filmed by a French-Israeli soldier stationed with the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza. Politicians in France demanded an inquiry, arguing that if this soldier was of French nationality and a potential perpetrator of torture, or had aided and abetted it, he should be tried in French courts for possible war crimes... READ MORE  https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/could-other-countries-prosecute-soldiers-in-gaza?mbid=social_twitter&utm_brand=tny&utm_social-type=owned

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