The Role of Artificial Intelligence and the US Partnership in the Gaza War: Palantir and the Israel Defense Forces

Since the onset of the Gaza war, Israel has employed all available tools to target individuals. Among the weapons provided by the United States, artificial intelligence stands out as a notable option. Over the past few months, Palantir and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have collaborated closely. This article explores American cooperation with the Israeli military in utilizing artificial intelligence technologies.

Wide application of artificial intelligence in military industries

Artificial intelligence is a phenomenon that has affected various sciences, including military sciences, in the last decade. The new generation of military weapons are permanent weapons in countries’ defense forces. Nowadays, many countries are looking to strengthen their robotic arsenal. For example, China held first place until 2012 by unveiling 27 different models of armed robots. Depending on the degree of autonomy, robots are divided into remote control (early examples of drones), semi-autonomous (MQ-9 Reaper drone), and fully autonomous. Artificial intelligence has emerged mainly in the third type. These weapons can search, identify, select, and attack targets in a predefined environment.

Increasing use of artificial intelligence in wars

The use of artificial intelligence in command and control, significantly to enhance cognitive, biological, and analytical functions, is gaining momentum. AI also makes electronic targeting systems less susceptible to damage from enemy operations. The purpose of AI in the survey is to find the most strategic target worth focusing on for firing. Artificial intelligence in the military industry can develop a strategy for self-controlled weapons. Artificial intelligence is used to predict the probability of occurrence and the reoccurrence time of specific trends. For example, the US Army has used Palantir software in the war in Afghanistan since 2011. Palantir and the Israel Defense Forces have also cooperated significantly in recent months.

America’s leadership in the use of artificial intelligence in military industries

American investment in this field increased during the Obama era and peaked during the Trump era. In the Trump era, in the National Security Strategy document 2017, he mentioned emerging technologies for the growth of security, such as artificial intelligence, especially for automatic weapons, to maintain Washington’s competitive advantage. Trump also issued an executive order in February 2019 entitled Maintaining America’s Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. The document mentions the role of this technology in national security and protecting American values. During the Biden period, the 2021 National Security Strategy document has focused on artificial intelligence technologies and quantum computing. From the American point of view, these technologies can change the economic and military balance between countries.

Israeli and American military cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence

The cooperation of the United States with Israel as its strategic ally is ongoing, as well as in other fields in the field of artificial intelligence. Initially, the White House announced that the two sides plan to support research to enable artificial intelligence in healthcare. In addition, in 2022, on the eve of the arrival of US President Joe Biden in Tel Aviv, Yair Lapid, the prime minister of Israel at the time, stated that: “The countries’ national security advisers will establish a Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology that will focus on strategic technologies artificial intelligence, quantum and solutions to global challenges such as climate change and improving pandemic preparedness.”

Israel’s use of artificial intelligence in the Gaza war

Various sources have mentioned Israel’s use of artificial intelligence in the war with Gaza. A report on December 1, 2023, in The Guardian titled “The Gospel’: how Israel uses AI to select bombing targets in Gaza” related Israel’s use of artificial intelligence to the period of the 2021 Gaza 2021 11-Day War. In that war, Israel waged its first artificial intelligence war using machine learning and advanced computing.

American intelligence partnership with the Israeli army

Recently, in a report, the media revealed the cooperation of American intelligence companies with the Israeli army in targeting Palestinian civilians. In a report pointing to the deliberateness of Israel’s attacks on relief teams, the magazine The Nation announced that American companies significantly support the Israeli army’s “8200” unit, which specializes in cyber warfare. Important information from the American National Security Agency and artificial intelligence programs developed by American companies are provided to the Israeli army. Palantir and the Israel Defense Forces have an intelligence involvement in preventing food from reaching the people of Gaza.

Israel is preventing food from reaching the people of Gaza

At the beginning of its report, The Nation magazine discussed Israel’s attack on the convoy of the World Central Kitchen charity organization. This attack resulted in the death of 7 members of this convoy. The Nation reported that the targeting of three vehicles in the convoy as it left the Deir al Balah depot in Gaza was accurate. The purpose of the Israeli army’s attack was to ensure that under no circumstances would food reach the people of Gaza.

Palantir and the Israel Defense Forces

Israel’s claim that the attack on the convoy of the “World Central Kitchen” charity was not intentional is entirely false. It is tough to understand such terrible mistakes. The Israeli army’s use of advanced artificial intelligence equipment and programs has been proven. Israel uses artificial intelligence in its targeting. Some facilities have been provided to the Israeli military by an American company called Palantir Technologies.

Using artificial intelligence to identify people

The October 2023 war gave the Israeli military an unprecedented opportunity to use AI tools in a broader operational arena. The use of this technology in the Gaza war has different dimensions. One case of Israel using artificial intelligence to identify people under prosecution and suspects has been mentioned. According to the information published by some Israeli officials in the publication 972+ magazine, the artificial intelligence tool has made it easy to identify the target in Gaza.

The escalating trend of using artificial intelligence technology against Gazans

Artificial intelligence is one of the most essential and practical equipment in recent decades in the military field. The United States is considered one of the leading artificial intelligence countries in the world. In continuation of its extensive support to Israel, Washington has tried to provide Israel with technologies based on artificial intelligence technology. Palantir and the Israel Defense Forces have collaborated a lot. This has spread especially after Biden’s trip to Israel. Many of the exported weapons, including airplanes and drones, which have seen an upward trend during the current war in Gaza, incorporate artificial intelligence technology.