According to various army publications and journalistic investigations, the military employs artificial intelligence systems in the context of the war in the Gaza Strip. According to the reports, one system, called "The Gospel," is capable of generating attack targets at a high rate using an algorithm that extracts intelligence data from a wide range of sources. The system processes the information and proposes attack targets, which are then approved by a human authority based on the system's recommendations. The army disclosed its use of artificial intelligence two years ago, and in the current war, it updated the public that it relies on "The Gospel" system.
On December 10, 2023, we sent legal correspondence (Hebrew) to the Chief Military Prosecutor and filed a Freedom of Information request (Hebrew) regarding the use of the system. Attorney Gil Gan-Mor, Director of the Civil and Social Rights Units, highlighted the difficulty in relying on artificial intelligence systems for making sensitive decisions that involve severe violations of human rights. Among other concerns, artificial intelligence systems are prone to biases, and their "conclusions" are received as a black box, without a human authority having the ability to monitor the system's operation and justify its recommendations.
Despite this, we requested to disclose all relevant information about "The Gospel" system that can be made public. From the Chief Military Prosecutor, we requested an urgent examination of the system and the use of artificial intelligence for decision-making regarding attack targets. We specifically asked to examine how the system aligns with the obligations imposed on the IDF by both Israeli and international law. We also inquired if there are any biases that may lead to incorrect targeting and cause severe harm to uninvolved civilians.
On February 18, 2024, we received a response to our Freedom of Information request, addressing some of the information (Hebrew) we requested. Among other things, it was reported that the system provides the investigator with the information on which it is based, in a way that enables him to easily collect and understand the information on which it relies. It was reported that in relation to each individual recommendation received from the "Gospel" system, an independent human examination of the intelligence material is conducted, after which the investigator recommends whether to approve the target, and that the decision is reviewed and approved separately by at least one other party.
On February 29, 2024, we received a response from the MAG Corps (Hebrew), stating that "the use of the system is fully consistent with the legal obligations that apply to the IDF – both under Israeli and international law."