IDF Eye for Eye and AI

 Recent news of the Prime Minister of Israel refusal to cooperate with Iran peace plan and images of the destruction of Gaza and the attacks on Lebanon brought some research to mind on International Humanitarian Law and the apparent refusal of the IDF to use AI as a guide to the proportional and discriminate conduct of war that this technology can facilitate.

AI and impact on death in Gaza (May 2024)

The admonition of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew to extend the restriction on retribution proclaimed in the Book of Leviticus as “an eye for an eye” was hopefully made possible with modern AI supported intelligent surveillance and targeting systems that have been proven to be able to locate, identify, and select a weapon response that “neutralizes the target” with minimal "collateral" death and destruction.

Trump criticizes Israel's tactics in Lebanon, says it is killing civilians

Humeyra Pamuk, writing for Reuters, reports that US President Donald Trump has chastised  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the death of civilians due to the tactics of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Lebanon. 

Summary in Reuters Article:

Trump said Israel need not bomb entire apartment buildings to target Hezbollah militants

Rebuke comes amid tensions between Trump and PM Netanyahu over Lebanon, Iran deal

White House said Trump still has a strong relationship with Netanyahu (Pamuk, 2026)

A White House official said:

"There has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump...Americans and our allies around the world are already ​safer for the United States and Israel’s bold actions to deny the Iranian regime the ability ​to develop a ⁠nuclear weapon,"

There is no indication that Trump's comments would translate into meaningful policy that would force Israel to rethink its military tactics in a way to ensure greater protection for civilians.

Israel has faced sharp criticism from other countries, particularly during its ⁠assault on ​Gaza that has killed 73,000 people, most of them civilians, according to the ​Gaza health ministry.

Israel says it never targets non-combatants and says militant groups such as Palestinian Hamas and Hezbollah regularly use civilians as human shields. (Pamuk, 2026)

Some other background is contained in these earlier posts.

Israel and Accountability in Gaza

AI IDF Gaza IHL

Responsible AI in Gaza against Hamas

AI Distinction Proportionality IHL in Gaza

The nations that have signed the United States “Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence” express the principle that military forces must enhance their implementation of international humanitarian law and to improve the protection of civilians and civilian objects in armed conflict. UN experts have welcomed the suspension of arms transfers to Israel by Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation. The European Union also recently discouraged arms exports to Israel. The post Arms exports to Israel notes that Canada’s Minister of Foreign, Affairs, Mélanie Joly, is reported as being increasingly concerned about the role of Canada in supplying arms to Israel.

References

Pamuk, H. (2026, June 16). Trump criticizes Israel's tactics in Lebanon, says it is killing civilians. Reuters. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-criticizes-israels-tactics-lebanon-says-it-is-killing-civilians-2026-06-16/ 

Arms and Armistice

As the one year anniversary of the brutal Hamas attack on Israel approaches, we are reminded of how Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute, defined Hamas in this way.

International Arms For Israel

A millenarian group, apocalyptic, believing a divine mandate with a religious imperative.

(CBC the Current Oct16, 2023)

The Washington Post published an article on line by Niha Masih, Bryan Pietsch and Ellen Francis that outlined French President Emmanuel Macron’s call to stop delivering weapons to Israel as the war in Gaza grinds on and Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah escalates farther into Lebanon.

At a summit for French-speaking leaders in Paris on Saturday, Macron appeared to take a jab at the United States, by far Israel’s largest supplier of weapons: “If we call for a cease-fire, consistency is to not provide weapons of war,” he said. “And I think that those who provide them cannot every day call for a cease-fire alongside us and continue to supply them.”

The United States has supplied more than $3 billion worth of military aid per year to Israel in recent years, and Israel is the largest beneficiary of U.S. military aid since World War II. Last month, Britain suspended some arms exports to Israel over concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law, joining several other nations that have taken similar actions in the wake of the war in Gaza. (Macron Urges Countries to ‘Stop Delivering Weapons’ to Israel for War in Gaza, n.d.)

In an article for the Arms Control Organization, earlier in October, Michael T. Klare reports that in what appears to be a growing trend, Canada and the United Kingdom recently joined several other NATO members in banning or otherwise restricting arms transfers to Israel due to its military operations in Gaza.

Belgium, Italy, and Spain already had imposed such measures, claiming that Israel’s relentless air and artillery strikes on Gaza, which have killed an estimated 40,000 people and flattened most residential areas, have violated international law.

The addition of Canada and the UK to this list suggests a growing policy rift with the United States, which is Israel’s major arms provider, responsible for 69 percent of the country’s imports over the past five years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The UK decision to constrain arms transfers to Israel was announced Sept. 2 by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who told Parliament that, under the UK Export Control Act of 2002, military gear cannot be exported to any country in which “there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” (Klare & Al-Qattaa, 2024)

An explainer published by Al-Mayadeen Media Network, an independent Arab satellite news channel, launched on June 11, 2012, and based in the Lebanese capital Beirut, has compiled lists of countries restricting weapons to Israel and countries arming Israel.

This explainer provides a brief summary of Western countries that have restricted or banned their arms exports to "Israel," while highlighting the governments that continue to be complicit in the occupation's ongoing genocide in Gaza. (Countries Restricting Weapons to and Arming 'Israel': Explainer, 2024)

Posts are cited below that provide some background discussion with references that have been previously posted. Next US President and Relationship to Israel reports on how Gaza has accelerated the social and political forces driving America and Israel apart. Resolve and Rafah reviews how many Western countries, traditionally supportive of Israel, oppose a military operation in Rafah that would have catastrophic consequences on the civilian population. Tactics and Terrorism explores if the tactics authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "do what is necessary" to protect its north may be closer to terrorism than military action that respects International Humanitarian Law.

A Google search of the International Rule of Law reveals that academic institutions are studying whether acceptance of this concept is in rising or declining acceptance. When the leading nation states question the war conduct of one of the most influential nations, Israel, the meaningful application of the rule of law may be in jeopardy.

References

Countries restricting weapons to and arming 'Israel': Explainer. (2024, September 4). Al Mayadeen English. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/countries-restricting-and-arming-weapons-to--israel---explai 

Klare, M. T., & Al-Qattaa, O. (2024, October 1). Canada and UK Restrict Arms Sales to Israel Over Gaza War. Arms Control Association. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-10/news/canada-and-uk-restrict-arms-sales-israel-over-gaza-war 

Macron urges countries to ‘stop delivering weapons’ to Israel for war in Gaza. (n.d.). The Washington Post - Breaking news and latest headlines, U.S. news, world news, and video - The Washington Post. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/05/macron-france-stop-arms-israel-gaza-war/ 

Report on Israel's campaign due in U.S. Congress

In a report from the Associated Press, published on the CBC Website, about the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza a reference is made to the report on Israel’s campaign that is due in the U.S. Congress.

violating international humanitarian law in Gaza

The Biden administration also faces a deadline Wednesday to report to Congress on whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.

A National Security Memorandum, known as NSM-20, that Biden issued in February requires the State Department to report to Congress by May 8 on whether it finds credible Israel's assurances that its use of U.S. weapons does not violate U.S. or international law.

"I've had a lot of conversations … with folks in the administration, really urging them to make sure that this report is credible, that it's seen to be based on facts and law and not based on what they would wish it would be," Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen told reporters.

Washington's provision of military assistance to Netanyahu's government has prompted protests across the U.S. demanding that universities and Biden withdraw support for Israel, including sending weaponry. (The Associated Press, n.d.)

The United States reportedly paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on Rafah, in a further widening of divisions between the two close allies. The U.S. has historically provided Israel enormous amounts of military aid, which has only accelerated since the start of the war. 

The U.S. says it is concerned over the fate of around 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, most of whom fled fighting elsewhere. Israel says Rafah is Hamas's last stronghold and that a wider offensive there is needed to dismantle the group's military and governing capabilities.

U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned Netanyahu against launching an invasion of Rafah. But Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he calls off an offensive or makes too many concessions in the ceasefire talks.(The Associated Press, n.d.)

The assertion of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that  “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” (Ward et al., n.d.) may become closer to reality as the concerns of allies continue to be ignored.

References

The Associated Press. (n.d.). Israel military say it's reopened key Gaza border crossing. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 8, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7197445 

Ward, A., Seligman, L., & Banoc, E. (n.d.). US fears Israel speeding up Rafah invasion timeline after deadly Hamas attack. Politico. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/06/us-israel-rafah-invasion-hamas-attack-00156256 

Avoiding Humanitarian Atrocity in Rafah

Jake Johnson reports in Salon, one of the first entirely digital major media outlets, with journalism distributed across Salon.com, Salon TV, social media, news platforms, email newsletters and mobile apps, that the United States, Israel's top arms supplier, has said it would oppose a Rafah assault without a credible plan to evacuate civilians from the city. Humanitarian groups and analysts have said such a plan is impossible because there is no genuinely safe place for Gazans to go. Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked so-called "safe zones" and designated routes Palestinians have used to flee in compliance with past IDF orders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, comments on Israel's military offensive in Rafah.

"Israel's military offensive in Rafah could lead to the deadliest phase of this conflict, inflicting horrific suffering on approximately 1.4 million displaced civilians in the area," 

"The relocation orders issued by Israel today to thousands of Gazans, directing them to move to Al-Mawasi, are beyond alarming. The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services. It lacks the capacity to house the number of people currently seeking refuge in Rafah, with no assurances of safety, proper accommodation, or return once hostilities end for those forced to relocate."

"The absence of these fundamental guarantees of safety and return, as required by international humanitarian law, qualifies Israel's relocation directives as forcible transfer, amounting to a serious violation of international law," Egeland said. "Any Israeli military operation in Rafah—which has become the largest cluster of displacement camps in the world—will cause potential mass atrocities." (Johnson, n.d.)

An article in the Economist raises questions of war crimes that may be committed by Israel in areas of discrimination between civilians and combatants and the proportionate use of force.

Those appalled by the suffering in Gaza may argue that genocide was the only charge that could be brought, because the ICJ has no jurisdiction over other war crimes. Yet the focus on an implausible crime diverts attention from the possibility that Israel is breaching the laws of war. These require Israel to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to minimise civilian casualties by being proportionate in the use of force.

The death toll of women and children raises grave doubts over whether Israel is meeting these obligations. It may also be failing to meet its duty under the Geneva Convention to provide medicine and food to civilians in the areas it occupies. As Gaza nears famine, its people do not need grandstanding, they need food. Israel’s leaders need to realise that if they block supplies, they will be held accountable by the court of public opinion—the only court available. (Charging Israel With Genocide Makes a Mockery of the ICJ, 2024)

Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, and Erin Banco report for Politico that the US fears Israel is speeding up the Rafah invasion timeline.

The events present a precarious moment for Biden, who has repeatedly urged Israel to refrain from a full-scale invasion of Rafah without a comprehensive civilian protection plan in place. He faces the possibility of having to more openly break with Netanyahu, which would involve insisting he pull back from sending thousands of Israeli soldiers into a treacherous war zone where about 3,000 Hamas fighters hide in a sprawling tunnel network.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, on Sunday after Hamas fired 10 projectiles from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing, toward the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing, according to an Israeli readout of the call.

President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in a quickly scheduled call, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson confirmed, a sign the White House moved swiftly to get a grasp of the situation.

“We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing now,” NSC spokesperson Watson said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery address Sunday marking Israel’s Holocaust memorial day, vowing that his nation would move forward with plans to militarily defeat Hamas with or without international support: “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” (Ward et al., n.d.)

If Israel is dangerously close to violations of humanitarian law and demonstrations in the United States, in an election year, raise concerns about Biden’s policy on the war, the restriction of military and financial aid to Israel may be a necessary political and humanitarian option especially if the Rafah incursion risks allied support for Israel.

References

Charging Israel with genocide makes a mockery of the ICJ. (2024, January 18). The Economist. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/01/18/charging-israel-with-genocide-makes-a-mockery-of-the-icj 

Johnson, J. (n.d.). Israel defies US, begins forced evacuation of Rafah as advocates warn there’s “nowhere safe to go”. Salon. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://www.salon.com/2024/05/06/israel-defies-us-begins-forced-evacuation-of-rafah-as-advocates-warn-theres-nowhere-safe-to-go_partner/ 

Ward, A., Seligman, L., & Banoc, E. (n.d.). US fears Israel speeding up Rafah invasion timeline after deadly Hamas attack. Politico. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/06/us-israel-rafah-invasion-hamas-attack-00156256 

Humanitarian Law and Severe Food Insecurity in Gaza

A fundamental objective of International Humanitarian Law is to reduce the death and suffering of civilian populations in the midst of war. In Gaza, Hussein Ibish, Arab Gulf States Institute, defines Hamas as a millenarian group, apocalyptic, believing a divine mandate with a religious imperative. Israel is understood to be a modern democracy with a rules based system of justice. Respect for International Humanitarian Law is expected of Israel and not a realistic expectation for Hamas.

Damage in Gaza

Jason Burke, in Jerusalem, writing for the Guardian, reports the finding of ‘utter annihilation’ in travel by a UNICEF representative in Gaza.

James Elder, a spokesperson with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), described the prospect of an attack into Rafah as “terrifying”.

“A military offensive in Rafah would be utterly catastrophic. The last remaining water points and hospitals [in Gaza] are there and there is nowhere else to go. Khan Younis, Gaza City barely exist any more,” he said. “Rafah is Gaza’s last hope and it is utterly bewildering that a conversation on a potential military operation is still continuing.” (Burke, n.d.)

On March 22,2024, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, met the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for talks aimed at ensuring more aid gets into Gaza, amid increasingly tense relations between the two allies over the war.

“One hundred per cent of the population of Gaza is experiencing severe levels of acute food insecurity. We cannot, we must not allow that to continue,” Blinken told a news conference late on Thursday March 2, 2024. (Burke, n.d.)

Blinken is also expected to discuss Israel’s intention to launch a ground offensive on Rafah, where more than half of the population of Gaza is sheltering in makeshift accommodation.

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to launch an attack into the city, which he says is the final stronghold of Hamas. The US president, Joe Biden, has said this would cross a “red line” for the US.

The war was triggered by a surprise attack into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, mostly civilians. More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli bombardments, mostly civilians, Gaza health authorities say. (Burke, n.d.)

 

Julian Borger in Washington, Lisa O'Carroll in Brussels and Peter Beaumont in London report, for the Guardian, that EU leaders call for ‘immediate humanitarian pause’ while the US is expected to bring a UN resolution calling for truce without delay.

The Biden administration has argued that an unconditional ceasefire would undermine leverage on Hamas to release its captives, seized during its 7 October attack on Israel, in which hundreds of civilians were killed. If the hostage talks in Doha fail however, the Biden administration will be faced with a dilemma: whether to continue to insist on the linkage between hostages and a ceasefire in the face of a clear warning this week from a UN panel of experts that a catastrophic famine in Gaza is imminent. At the UN, the French envoy, Nicolas de Rivière, said: “It’s time to save lives.”

“The death toll is around 32,000 men and women. It needs to stop now. This is why I will encourage the security council to take action before the end of the week, before the weekend,” de Rivière said. “Each time there is a crisis in the world, the first thing the security council is asking for a ceasefire, and then talks. This is what we have to do on Gaza as well. There should not be an exception.” 

The new text sends Israel the clearest message yet of the Biden administration’s growing frustration with its prosecution of the war, and comes after a warning from the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, that Israel may be committing a war crime by using “starvation as a method of war”. (Borger et al., n.d.)

UN experts and agencies are increasingly concerned that there will be severe famine in Gaza as a consequence of the rejection by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of efforts by the US, EU, and UN to create ceasefire conditions that will save civilian lives from death by starvation.

References

Borger, J., O'Carroll, L., & Beaumont, P. (n.d.). EU and US pile on pressure for Gaza ceasefire. the Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/21/eu-and-us-pile-on-pressure-for-gaza-ceasefire 

Burke, J. (n.d.). Unicef official tells of ‘utter annihilation’ after travelling length of Gaza. the Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/22/unicef-official-utter-annihilation-gaza