Israel has approved more aid crossing to Gaza hours after Biden-Netanyahu held tense talks. The country is in a tough spot, many allies are reportedly mulling conditions on support if Israel does not act on avoiding civilian harm.

Israel approves aid crossing after tough talks with US

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms- The death toll in Gaza sees 33,000 while over 75,000 are injured.

Israel war: Gaza death toll exceeds 33,000 over 75,000 injured

Israel fires two military personnel after concluding they mistakenly fired at an aid workers convoy in Gaza that killed 7 foreign nationals. Its the first of the steps taken by the Netanyahu govt after a phone call with Biden where US stated clear red lines.

Will Israel act on Biden's ultimatum on Gaza?

As per Oxfam’s analysis, People in northern Gaza have been forced to survive on an average of 245 calories a day, less than a can of fava beans since January, as Israeli forces continue their military onslaught.

Oxfam: People in Gaza forced to survive on 245 calories per day

Amid the unrelenting aggression by Israel. Washington is working to coordinate a multinational effort to set up a maritime aid corridor into Gaza. This is a part of a US Strategy of flooding the zone with humanitarian assistance. Watch in for more details!

Israel war: People in Gaza forced to survive on 245 calories per day: Report

Seven foreign aid workers, who were heading back after completing food delivery, were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza, as per the health officials present in the occupied territory.

The deaths of the aid workers were reported by the Hamas-run Gaza government media office late on Monday (April 1).&nbsp;

The Hamas-run territory's health ministry said that the dead bodies of the aid workers and their Palestinian driver were brought to a hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza.

The aid group,&nbsp;World Central Kitchen, claimed that their six international aid workers along with&nbsp;their Palestinian driver were killed in the attack.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-approve-operational-plans-on-rafah-says-netanyahu-706324">‘US pressure will not stop us,’ says Netanyahu as Israel approves ‘operational plans’ for action in Rafah</a>

In a statement, the Israeli military said that it was "conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident", and added that it had been "working closely with WCK" in the efforts to give aid to Palestinians.

The aid workers were working for World Central Kitchen and were travelling in a convoy which was hit by a strike south of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, as per local officials.

Earlier in&nbsp;a statement, Hamas said that the aid workers included "British, Australian and Polish nationalities, with the fourth nationality not known", and that the fifth person who died was a Palestinian driver and translator.&nbsp;

<h2>World Central Kitchen decries attack on aid workers, calls it a 'tragedy'</h2>

In a statement, World Central Kitchen said, “We are aware of reports that members of the World Central Kitchen team have been killed in an IDF attack while working to support our humanitarian food delivery efforts in Gaza. This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be a target.”

The World Central Kitchen organisation also announced that they are immediately suspending their work in the Gaza Strip. “World Central Kitchen is pausing our operations immediately in the region. We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon,” said CEO Erin Gore.

Meanwhile, Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee, in a statement said that they are investigating the incident.

“Following the reports regarding the World Central Kitchen personnel in Gaza today, the IDF is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident. The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” the statement read.

Watch:&nbsp;Israel-Hamas war: Thousands demand Netanyahu government's resignation

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is “urgently” looking into the reports an Australian had been killed.

“I’m very concerned about the loss of life that is occurring in Gaza. My government has supported a sustainable ceasefire,” he said while speaking to ABC Radio on Tuesday (April 2).

“We’ve called for the release of hostages and there have been far too many innocent lives, Palestinian and Israeli, lost during the Gaza-Hamas conflict," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Seven foreign aid workers, who were heading back after completing food delivery, were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza, as per the health officials present in the occupied territory.

Seven foreign aid workers, who were heading back after completing food delivery, were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza, as per the health officials present in the occupied territory. The deaths of the aid workers were reported by the Hamas-run Gaza government media office late on Monday (April 1). The Hamas-run territory's health ministry said that the dead bodies of the aid workers and their Palestinian driver were brought to a hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. The aid group, World Central Kitchen, claimed that their six international aid workers along with their Palestinian driver were killed in the attack. Also Read: ‘US pressure will not stop us,’ says Netanyahu as Israel approves ‘operational plans’ for action in Rafah In a statement, the Israeli military said that it was "conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident", and added that it had been "working closely with WCK" in the efforts to give aid to Palestinians. The aid workers were working for World Central Kitchen and were travelling in a convoy which was hit by a strike south of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, as per local officials. Earlier in a statement, Hamas said that the aid workers included "British, Australian and Polish nationalities, with the fourth nationality not known", and that the fifth person who died was a Palestinian driver and translator. World Central Kitchen decries attack on aid workers, calls it a 'tragedy' In a statement, World Central Kitchen said, “We are aware of reports that members of the World Central Kitchen team have been killed in an IDF attack while working to support our humanitarian food delivery efforts in Gaza. This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be a target.” The World Central Kitchen organisation also announced that they are immediately suspending their work in the Gaza Strip. “World Central Kitchen is pausing our operations immediately in the region. We will be making decisions about the future of our work soon,” said CEO Erin Gore. Meanwhile, Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee, in a statement said that they are investigating the incident. “Following the reports regarding the World Central Kitchen personnel in Gaza today, the IDF is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident. The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” the statement read. Watch: Israel-Hamas war: Thousands demand Netanyahu government's resignation Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is “urgently” looking into the reports an Australian had been killed. “I’m very concerned about the loss of life that is occurring in Gaza. My government has supported a sustainable ceasefire,” he said while speaking to ABC Radio on Tuesday (April 2). “We’ve called for the release of hostages and there have been far too many innocent lives, Palestinian and Israeli, lost during the Gaza-Hamas conflict," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Israeli strike on Gaza kills foreign aid workers just after they delivered food, NGO decries attack

For the first time after the violent October 7 attacks, the security cabinet of Israel agreed to reopen the Erez crossing between the country and northern Gaza. Israeli officials have agreed to open the crossing to ensure that more humanitarian aid is entering Gaza. The approval for using the Israeli Port of Ashdod was also given by the cabinet to help transfer more aid to Gaza. In other news,&nbsp;Donald Trump's bid to dismiss the classified documents case was denied by a judge on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-gives-nod-to-reopen-another-border-crossing-hours-after-biden-netanyahu-stern-chat-707876">Israel approves opening of Erez crossing, hours after Biden-Netanyahu chat</a>

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For the first time after the violent October 7 attacks, the security cabinet of Israel agreed to reopen the Erez crossing between the country and northern Gaza. Israeli officials have agreed to open the crossing to ensure that more humanitarian aid is entering Gaza. The approval for using the Israeli Port of Ashdod was also given by the cabinet to help transfer more aid to Gaza.

Click on the links to read more.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-troubles-continue-as-judge-denies-motion-to-dismiss-classified-documents-case-707878">Judge denies Donald Trump's motion to dismiss classified documents case</a>

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Former President Donald Trump's bid to dismiss the classified documents case was denied by a judge on Thursday (April 4). Trump has been accused of mishandling the classified documents during his tenure as the president and has argued that the documents were seen as personal papers, under the Presidential Records Act.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-latest-senior-moment-repeats-debunked-claims-seemingly-forgets-his-own-name-during-speech-707915">Biden's latest 'senior moment': Repeats debunked claims, seemingly forgets his own name during speech</a>

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US President Joe Biden has done it again. The 81-year-old stumbled in his latest speech, and in a 'senior moment', once again echoed a false claim he has been repeating for around five years.&nbsp;

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Elon Musk's X has stirred confusion as some users woke up to free blue ticks on Thursday (Apr 4) morning. For those living under a rock, X, formerly Twitter, for years, used to offer blue tick verification badges to prominent accounts, including those of celebrities, politicians, journalists, and other influential people.&nbsp;

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For the first time after the violent October 7 attacks, the security cabinet of Israel agreed to reopen the Erez crossing between the country and northern Gaza. Israeli officials have agreed to open the crossing to ensure that more humanitarian aid is entering Gaza.

For the first time after the violent October 7 attacks, the security cabinet of Israel agreed to reopen the Erez crossing between the country and northern Gaza. Israeli officials have agreed to open the crossing to ensure that more humanitarian aid is entering Gaza. The approval for using the Israeli Port of Ashdod was also given by the cabinet to help transfer more aid to Gaza. In other news, Donald Trump's bid to dismiss the classified documents case was denied by a judge on Thursday. Israel approves opening of Erez crossing, hours after Biden-Netanyahu chat For the first time after the violent October 7 attacks, the security cabinet of Israel agreed to reopen the Erez crossing between the country and northern Gaza. Israeli officials have agreed to open the crossing to ensure that more humanitarian aid is entering Gaza. The approval for using the Israeli Port of Ashdod was also given by the cabinet to help transfer more aid to Gaza. Click on the links to read more. Judge denies Donald Trump's motion to dismiss classified documents case Former President Donald Trump's bid to dismiss the classified documents case was denied by a judge on Thursday (April 4). Trump has been accused of mishandling the classified documents during his tenure as the president and has argued that the documents were seen as personal papers, under the Presidential Records Act. Biden's latest 'senior moment': Repeats debunked claims, seemingly forgets his own name during speech US President Joe Biden has done it again. The 81-year-old stumbled in his latest speech, and in a 'senior moment', once again echoed a false claim he has been repeating for around five years. Back from the dead: Elon Musk's X sparks confusion with surprise return of free blue ticks Elon Musk's X has stirred confusion as some users woke up to free blue ticks on Thursday (Apr 4) morning. For those living under a rock, X, formerly Twitter, for years, used to offer blue tick verification badges to prominent accounts, including those of celebrities, politicians, journalists, and other influential people. Watch: Myanmar's resistance groups launch drone attack on Naypyitaw ×

Morning brief: Israel to reopen Erez crossing; judge denies Trump's bid to dismiss classified docs case & more

Days after seven&nbsp;foreign aid workers were killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in a "grave mistake", World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres accused the country of targeting his aid workers "systematically, car by car".

He said that the strike carried out by Israel on Monday (April 1) was not a mistake and added that Israeli forces were informed about the aid workers' movements.&nbsp;

In the airstrike, WCK aid workers from Australia, Canada, Poland, the UK and the US lost their lives along with a Palestinian colleague.&nbsp;

Israel called the strike a "grave mistake" and issued an apology. The Israeli government also vowed to carry out an independent investigation.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-uses-unparalleled-ai-to-target-suspected-hamas-militants-machine-did-it-coldly-707460">Israel uses 'unparalleled' AI to target suspected Hamas militants as machine did it 'coldly': Report</a>

According to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder, Israel launched strikes on the aid convoy while they were leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, "where the team had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route".&nbsp;

<h2>Not a 'bad luck situation' for Israeli army, charity's logo was clearly displayed: Andres&nbsp;</h2>

He said that the convoy had three vehicles, two of them were armoured and the charity's logo was clearly displayed.&nbsp;

"This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place," said Andres.

"This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometres, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colourful logo that we are obviously very proud of," he said. It's “very clear who we are and what we do," he added.

"They were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by IDF. They know that it was our teams moving on that road ... with three cars," Andres said.

Narrating the entire incident to the Reuters news agency, the World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder said, "The team was coming from dropping in a warehouse… south of Gaza all the food they were able to download before it got too dark."&nbsp;

"Somehow we kind of lost communication. Then we began [to get] information that something went wrong, that something happened. And that is when I found out our team” were targeted," he said.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Israel War: Want Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, says Hamas Chief

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"They were targeted systematically car by car," Andres said. He further alleged that Israel is most likely to have carried out more than three strikes by drones.

"They attacked the first car...We have a feeling they were able to escape safely because this was an armoured vehicle," Andres said. The people in the first car "were able to move in the second one. Again, this one was hit. They were able to move in the third one," he added.

He further said that the aid workers were trying to make calls when they were attacked to ask the Israeli Defense Forces, "'What are they doing? They are targeting us.’”&nbsp;

"The area was controlled by the Israeli military. They knew it was our team moving on that road with three cars," he said.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Days after seven foreign aid workers were killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in a "grave mistake", World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres accused the country of targeting his aid workers "systematically, car by car".

Days after seven foreign aid workers were killed by the Israeli army in Gaza in a "grave mistake", World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres accused the country of targeting his aid workers "systematically, car by car". He said that the strike carried out by Israel on Monday (April 1) was not a mistake and added that Israeli forces were informed about the aid workers' movements. In the airstrike, WCK aid workers from Australia, Canada, Poland, the UK and the US lost their lives along with a Palestinian colleague. Israel called the strike a "grave mistake" and issued an apology. The Israeli government also vowed to carry out an independent investigation. Also Read: Israel uses 'unparalleled' AI to target suspected Hamas militants as machine did it 'coldly': Report According to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder, Israel launched strikes on the aid convoy while they were leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, "where the team had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route". Not a 'bad luck situation' for Israeli army, charity's logo was clearly displayed: Andres He said that the convoy had three vehicles, two of them were armoured and the charity's logo was clearly displayed. "This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place," said Andres. "This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometres, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colourful logo that we are obviously very proud of," he said. It's “very clear who we are and what we do," he added. "They were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by IDF. They know that it was our teams moving on that road ... with three cars," Andres said. Narrating the entire incident to the Reuters news agency, the World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder said, "The team was coming from dropping in a warehouse… south of Gaza all the food they were able to download before it got too dark." "Somehow we kind of lost communication. Then we began [to get] information that something went wrong, that something happened. And that is when I found out our team” were targeted," he said. Watch: Israel War: Want Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, says Hamas Chief "They were targeted systematically car by car," Andres said. He further alleged that Israel is most likely to have carried out more than three strikes by drones. "They attacked the first car...We have a feeling they were able to escape safely because this was an armoured vehicle," Andres said. The people in the first car "were able to move in the second one. Again, this one was hit. They were able to move in the third one," he added. He further said that the aid workers were trying to make calls when they were attacked to ask the Israeli Defense Forces, "'What are they doing? They are targeting us.’” "The area was controlled by the Israeli military. They knew it was our team moving on that road with three cars," he said. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel targeted aid convoy 'systematically, car by car' and killed his staff members, alleges WCK founder

Watch in Top Headlines of the hour: - Biden's ultimatum to Netanyahu - Gaza toll exceeds 33,000 - Houthis: Targetted90 ships in the Red Sea - Baltimore: Biden to visit bridge collapse site

Israel-hamas war: Gaza toll exceeds 33,000 | Biden to visit Baltimore collapse site

Watch in Top Headlines of the hour: - Gaza toll exceeds 33,000, over 75,000 injured - Biden's ultimatum to Netanyahu - Houthis: Targeted 90 ships in the Red Sea - Baltimore: Biden to visit Bridge collapse site - India's Homegrown cancer treatment

Gaza toll exceeds 33,000, over 75,000 injured | Biden's ultimatum to Netanyahu

Amid the unrelenting aggression by Israel. Washington is working to coordinate a multinational effort to set up a maritime aid corridor into Gaza. This is a part of a US Strategy of flooding the zone with humanitarian assistance.

Gazans forced to survive on 245 calories per day, way below ideal intake of 2,000 calories a day

Israeli intelligence officials have revealed that the IDF had been using an AI-powered system to make a kill list in Gaza. At one point, this AI system named "Lavender" could identify 37,000 potential Hamas targets. This system also reportedly killed thousands of civilians.

Gravitas | Exposed: Israel's killer AI system in Gaza war

Reports say the U.S. may consider removing the Houthis from its terror list. The Houthis have not stopped attacking ships at the Red Sea, neither have they called off the war. What then explains the possible delisting of the group from the American terror list? Is this a sign of America's confused military strategy? Is this a symbolic victory for the Houthis?

Gravitas | Red Sea War: US to remove Houthis from terror list? | Has American strategy failed?

Britain will warn Israel on Wednesday that its patience is running thin over the "dreadful suffering" in Gaza, where a lack of aid is leading people to die of hunger. Watch in for more details!

Israel: Thousands of Israelis take to streets, Netanyahu's govt faces pressure

Israel is facing major diplomatic backlash over the airstrike that killed seven international aid workers, delivering desperately-needed food to the Gaza strip. Israel's defence forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi has issued an apology for deadly Israeli strike on an aid convoy in Gaza. He says the strike was a result of a 'misidentification'.

Israel faces backlash for aid workers' deaths, western allies 'demand explanation'

Israel war Cabinet member Benny Gantz has called for national elections in September. Prime Minister Netanyahu's government continues to face pressure at home and abroad over the war in Gaza.

Benny Gantz calls for early elections in Israel

US President Joe Biden will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone and this comes 3 days after Israel launched an attack in which seven World Central Kitchen Aid workers were killed in Gaza. Watch in for more details!

Netayahu, Biden talks amid friction over Rafah plans; US-Israel plan further talks next week

The White House says that US President Joe Biden is outraged the president will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu three days after the Israeli attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen Aid workers in Gaza. Watch in for more details!

Israel War: Outrage over the killing of aid workers

Israel: Netanyahu faces pressure at home & abroad; political divide back on show in Israel

Israel War: Will the US still give weapons to Israel?

Israeli military has cancelled leave for all combat units this amid concerns of a possible escalation in violence after the killing of Iranian Generals in Damascus, Syria this week drew threats of retaliation.

Breaking News: Israel boosts defences after Iran revenge threat

In a rather interesting turn of events US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy A. Lenderking has left the door open for Washington to again remove the terror designation from Houthis. Watch in for more details!

Will Houthis to be removed from US' global terrorist list?

Israel war Cabinet member Benny Gantz has called for national elections in September. Prime Minister Netanyahu's government continues to face pressure at home and abroad over the war in Gaza. Israel's unrelenting air ground and sea assault has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians and led to a humanitarian catastrophe. Watch in for more details!

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz calls for early elections after protests in Israel

The deadly Israeli attack that killed seven Aid workers from the nonprofit World Central Kitchen in Gaza on Monday. Reports are now suggesting that the attack might have been carried out with multiple Precision strikes first. Let's take a look.

What we know about WCK's aid workers killing

Houthis to be removed from global terrorist list?

Israeli strikes on an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip that killed seven workers for the charity group World Central Kitchen set off international outrage and prompted an unusual apology from the wartime Israeli government. Watch in for more details!

Israel-Hamas War: Israeli strike on aid convoy prompts global condemnation

Israel: Benny Gantz challenges Netanyahu with calls for polls amid Gaza war

The Israeli army has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify targets for its bombing spree in Gaza, revealed a report on Wednesday (Apr 3).

According to an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call, the Israeli AI-based tool, named "Lavender," had a 10 per cent error rate.

<h2>Who developed Lavender?</h2>

As per the investigation, 'Lavender' was developed by Unit 8200, the Israel Defense Forces' elite intelligence division.

Unit 8200, the Israeli Intelligence Corps unit of the Israel Defense Forces responsible for clandestine operations, is comparable to the United States's National Security Agency or GCHQ in the United Kingdom.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-uses-unparalleled-ai-to-target-suspected-hamas-militants-machine-did-it-coldly-707460">Israel using 'unparalleled' AI to list out suspected Hamas targets: Report</a>

<h2>How does Lavender work?</h2>

The Lavender system is said to mark suspected operatives in the military wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as potential bombing targets, including low-ranking individuals.&nbsp;

The software analyses data collected through mass surveillance on most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, assessing and ranking the likelihood of each person's involvement in the military wing of Hamas or PIJ.

Individuals are given a rating of 1 to 100, indicating their likelihood of being a militant.

Lavender learns to identify characteristics of known operatives from Hamas and PIJ and then identifies similar characteristics among the general population. Individuals with multiple incriminating features are assigned higher ratings, making them potential targets for assassination.

<h2>How accurate is it?</h2>

As per the report, even though the AI machine has an error rate of 10 per cent, its outputs were treated "as if it were a human decision".

Citing six Israeli intelligence officials involved in the alleged programme, the investigation revealed that during the initial stages of the conflict in Gaza, the military heavily relied on Lavender. It identified as many as 37,000 (most of them junior) Palestinians as suspected militants for potential airstrikes and assassination.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-targeted-aid-convoy-systematically-car-by-car-and-killed-his-staff-members-alleges-wck-founder-707466">Israel targeted aid convoy 'systematically, car by car' and killed his staff members, alleges WCK founder</a>

These officials said that the outputs of the AI machine were treated "as if it were a human decision," and alleged that the human review of the suggested targets was cursory at best.

Reportedly, the approval "to automatically adopt Lavender's kill lists" was given about two weeks into the war. Before that, they were only treated as an "auxiliary tool".

This approval was granted after an intelligence officer manually checked the accuracy of a random sample of several hundred targets selected by the AI system and found that Lavender's results had 90 per cent accuracy in identifying targets.

"From that moment, sources said that if Lavender decided an individual was a militant in Hamas, they were essentially asked to treat that as an order, with no requirement to independently check why the machine made that choice or to examine the raw intelligence data on which it is based," reports the publication.

A senior official identified as 'B' confirmed that officers were not required to review the AI system's assessments "in order to save time and enable the mass production of human targets without hindrances".

"Everything was statistical, everything was neat — it was very dry," he noted.

"In war, there is no time to incriminate every target. So you’re willing to take the margin of error of using artificial intelligence, risking collateral damage and civilians dying, and risking attacking by mistake, and to live with it," said another officer.

<h2>Civilian casualties and 'collateral damage'</h2>

As per the report, two sources also alleged that the Israeli army, in an unprecedented move, decided during the first weeks of the war that for every junior Hamas operative that Lavender marked, it was permissible to kill up to 15 or 20 civilians. Before that, the military did not authorise any "collateral damage" during assassinations of low-ranking militants.&nbsp;

For targets that were a senior Hamas official with the rank of battalion or brigade commander, the army reportedly on several occasions authorised the killing of more than 100 civilians per assassination.

The report alleges that to assassinate the junior militants, the Israeli army preferred to only&nbsp;use "dumb" bombs.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Joint World Bank-UN report pegs Gaza's damages at $18.5 billion&nbsp;

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Dumb bombs are unguided missiles that can&nbsp;destroy entire buildings on top of their occupants and cause significant casualties. These were used instead of 'smart' precision bombs because "you don’t want to waste expensive bombs on unimportant people — it’s very expensive for the country and there’s a shortage [of those bombs]," an intelligence officer identified as 'C' told the publication.

Another source told&nbsp;+972 magazine that they had personally authorised the bombing of "hundreds" of private homes of alleged junior operatives that the AI tool&nbsp;Lavender had&nbsp;marked. These attacks killed many civilians, ending entire families, all labelled as mere "collateral damage".

One source said that they nicknamed low-ranking militants on the AI kill lists 'garbage targets,' but said these were "more ethical than the targets that we bombed just for 'deterrence' — highrises that are evacuated and toppled just to cause destruction."

(With inputs from agencies)

The Israeli army has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify targets for its bombing spree in Gaza, revealed a report on Wednesday (Apr 3). According to an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call, the Israeli AI-based tool, named "Lavender," had a 10 per cent error rate.

The Israeli army has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify targets for its bombing spree in Gaza, revealed a report on Wednesday (Apr 3). According to an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call, the Israeli AI-based tool, named "Lavender," had a 10 per cent error rate. Who developed Lavender? As per the investigation, 'Lavender' was developed by Unit 8200, the Israel Defense Forces' elite intelligence division. Unit 8200, the Israeli Intelligence Corps unit of the Israel Defense Forces responsible for clandestine operations, is comparable to the United States's National Security Agency or GCHQ in the United Kingdom. Also read | Israel using 'unparalleled' AI to list out suspected Hamas targets: Report How does Lavender work? The Lavender system is said to mark suspected operatives in the military wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as potential bombing targets, including low-ranking individuals. The software analyses data collected through mass surveillance on most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, assessing and ranking the likelihood of each person's involvement in the military wing of Hamas or PIJ. Individuals are given a rating of 1 to 100, indicating their likelihood of being a militant. Lavender learns to identify characteristics of known operatives from Hamas and PIJ and then identifies similar characteristics among the general population. Individuals with multiple incriminating features are assigned higher ratings, making them potential targets for assassination. How accurate is it? As per the report, even though the AI machine has an error rate of 10 per cent, its outputs were treated "as if it were a human decision". Citing six Israeli intelligence officials involved in the alleged programme, the investigation revealed that during the initial stages of the conflict in Gaza, the military heavily relied on Lavender. It identified as many as 37,000 (most of them junior) Palestinians as suspected militants for potential airstrikes and assassination. Also read | Israel targeted aid convoy 'systematically, car by car' and killed his staff members, alleges WCK founder These officials said that the outputs of the AI machine were treated "as if it were a human decision," and alleged that the human review of the suggested targets was cursory at best. Reportedly, the approval "to automatically adopt Lavender's kill lists" was given about two weeks into the war. Before that, they were only treated as an "auxiliary tool". This approval was granted after an intelligence officer manually checked the accuracy of a random sample of several hundred targets selected by the AI system and found that Lavender's results had 90 per cent accuracy in identifying targets. "From that moment, sources said that if Lavender decided an individual was a militant in Hamas, they were essentially asked to treat that as an order, with no requirement to independently check why the machine made that choice or to examine the raw intelligence data on which it is based," reports the publication. A senior official identified as 'B' confirmed that officers were not required to review the AI system's assessments "in order to save time and enable the mass production of human targets without hindrances". "Everything was statistical, everything was neat — it was very dry," he noted. "In war, there is no time to incriminate every target. So you’re willing to take the margin of error of using artificial intelligence, risking collateral damage and civilians dying, and risking attacking by mistake, and to live with it," said another officer. Civilian casualties and 'collateral damage' As per the report, two sources also alleged that the Israeli army, in an unprecedented move, decided during the first weeks of the war that for every junior Hamas operative that Lavender marked, it was permissible to kill up to 15 or 20 civilians. Before that, the military did not authorise any "collateral damage" during assassinations of low-ranking militants. For targets that were a senior Hamas official with the rank of battalion or brigade commander, the army reportedly on several occasions authorised the killing of more than 100 civilians per assassination. The report alleges that to assassinate the junior militants, the Israeli army preferred to only use "dumb" bombs. Watch: Joint World Bank-UN report pegs Gaza's damages at $18.5 billion Dumb bombs are unguided missiles that can destroy entire buildings on top of their occupants and cause significant casualties. These were used instead of 'smart' precision bombs because "you don’t want to waste expensive bombs on unimportant people — it’s very expensive for the country and there’s a shortage [of those bombs]," an intelligence officer identified as 'C' told the publication. Another source told +972 magazine that they had personally authorised the bombing of "hundreds" of private homes of alleged junior operatives that the AI tool Lavender had marked. These attacks killed many civilians, ending entire families, all labelled as mere "collateral damage". One source said that they nicknamed low-ranking militants on the AI kill lists 'garbage targets,' but said these were "more ethical than the targets that we bombed just for 'deterrence' — highrises that are evacuated and toppled just to cause destruction." (With inputs from agencies)

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