Inside Israel's Bombing Campaign in Gaza

Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine 972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces' conduct. In November, 972, along with the Hebrew publication Local Call, found that the I.D.F. had expanded the number of "legitimate" military targets, leading to a huge increase in civilian casualties. Then earlier this month, 972 and Local Call released a long feature called "Lavender: The AI Machine Directing Israel's Bombing Spree in Gaza." The story revealed how the Israeli military had used the program to identify suspected militants, which in practice meant that tens of thousands of Palestinians had their homes marked as legitimate targets for bombing, with minimal human oversight. The I.D.F. also said that, according to its rules, "analysts must conduct independent examinations" to verify the identification of targets.