With the launch of "Operation Iron Swords" announced by Israel following the attack on October 7, the Israeli army expanded its operations in the Gaza Strip. Its strikes targeted not only specific military objectives but also residential buildings housing thousands of civilians, resulting in significant destruction and mass assassinations. The leftist magazine "+972," founded by a group of four Israeli writers in Tel Aviv, reported intelligence sources asserting that "the bombing of residential buildings primarily aims to harm civilian Palestinian society, with a shock effect expected to resonate strongly, leading civilians to pressure Hamas."
Multiple sources confirmed to the magazine that the Israeli army has files on the vast majority of potential targets in Gaza, including homes, which indicate the number of civilians likely to be killed in an attack on a specific target. This number is pre-calculated and known in advance to the army’s intelligence units, which also know shortly before executing an attack the approximate number of civilians who are certain to die.
In one case presented by sources as an example, the Israeli military leadership knowingly consented to the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an attempt to assassinate a senior Hamas military leader. One source stated, "The number of civilian casualties rose from dozens to hundreds as collateral damage from the assassination operation." Another source added, "Nothing happens by coincidence; when a 3-year-old girl is killed in a house in Gaza, it’s because someone in the army decided that her death is not a big deal, and that it’s a price worth paying. We are not Hamas; these are not random missiles. Everything is intentional; we know precisely the extent of collateral damage in every home."
### The "Habasura" System
According to the magazine’s investigation, another reason for the large number of targets and the severe damage inflicted on civilian life in Gaza is the widespread use of a system called "Habasura" or "The Gospel." This system is largely based on artificial intelligence and can generate targets almost autonomously at a rate far exceeding past capabilities.
This AI system, as described by a former intelligence officer, essentially creates a "factory for mass assassinations." According to sources, the increasing use of AI-based systems like "Habasura" allows the military to conduct raids on residential homes where a single Hamas member resides on a large scale. However, testimonies from Palestinians in Gaza indicate that since October 7, the military has also attacked several private residences where there was no known Hamas member or any other armed group present.
Sources confirmed that such strikes could deliberately kill entire families.
