HomeIsrael using AI tech to safeguard itseslfIsraeli Army installs Remote-control Crowd Dispersal System at Hebron Flashpoint

Israeli Army installs Remote-control Crowd Dispersal System at Hebron Flashpoint

Source : HAARETZ


Israeli Army installs Remote-control Crowd Dispersal System at Hebron Flashpoint
The system that the army installed in Hebron, on Monday. It was placed at a site that has been a flashpoint of demonstrations and clashes between Palestinians and soldiers. (Credit: Hadas Parush)



The Israeli military has installed a remotely controlled system for crowd dispersal in the West Bank city of Hebron, which includes the capacity to fire stun grenades, tear gas and sponge-tipped bullets.


The system, still in its pilot stage, was installed on Shuhada Street, over a checkpoint in an area that has served in the past as the focal point of demonstrations and clashes between Palestinians and Israel’s military.

The army says it is examining the possibility of using the system for deploying approved methods of crowd dispersal, which does not include the firing of live bullets. Following publication, it clarified that in its pilot stage, the system will use only sponge-tipped bullets, despite several incidents in which they have caused serious injuries in the West Bank and Israel in past years.

The system in Hebron was created by Smart Shooter, a company that designs systems to follow and lock in on targets using image processing based on artificial intelligence. It prides itself on its accuracy in hitting targets marked by its system, which can be controlled remotely.

In the West Bank, this system has been installed only in Hebron.

“The system was placed in the center of a heavily populated area, with hundreds of people passing by. Any failure of this technology could impact many people,” says Issa Amro, a human rights activist from Hebron. “I see this as part of a transition from human to technological control. We as Palestinians have become an object of experimenting and training for Israel’s military hi-tech industry, which is not accountable for anything it does,” he says.

Last year, the Washington Post revealed that Israel had begun using a facial recognition technology called “Blue Wolf” in the West Bank to monitor and surveil Palestinians. The system is a database fed by details and photos of Palestinians, including identity numbers, age, sex, address, license plate numbers, ties to other individuals, work status in Israel, as well as negative impressions soldiers have of a Palestinian’s conduct when encountering them.

Cameras for facial recognition have been installed on roadblocks in Hebron in recent years. In 2018, Israel’s military began using a drone capable of launching tear gas at demonstrators in the Gaza Strip and in 2021 Haaretz reported that police had begun using such drones against demonstrators in Israel. Additionally, a system that allows the firing of live ammunition from a distance has been installed in Gaza.

An army spokesman responded to this report saying, “As part of the army’s improved preparations for confronting people disrupting order in the area, it is examining the possibility of using remotely-controlled systems for the employment of approved measures of crowd dispersal. This does not include remote control of live gunfire.”

In an earlier version of this article it was stated that the system also used rubber bullets, following a confirmation by the military spokesperson’s office. However, the spokesperson’s office later said that the system will only use sponge-tipped bullets, after the story was already published.

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat

All

Defence Ministry inks Rs 2956 cr contract with BHEL to procure 16 super rapid gun mount for Navy

Source : Press Trust of India (PTI)New Delhi: The defence ministry on Tuesday sealed a Rs 2,956 crore deal with state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals...

India to add 2nd indigenous aircraft carrier worth $5 billion to its naval fleet to counter China

Source : BloombergIndia is set to add another aircraft carrier to its fleet worth almost Rs 400 billion ($4.8 billion) as it seeks to...

AMCA 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Updates

Most Popular

Recent Comments

Archive Months

Miscellanous

Taiwan holds live-fire drills as China extends war games

Source : Al JazeeraTaiwan holds live-fire drills as China extends war games Taiwan’s top diplomat accuses China of simulating an invasion as Taiwanese and...

India’s ERSAM under ERADS, to get cruise missile interception capability at 150km ranges

Source : Indian Defence Updates (IDU)Representative ImageIndia's upcoming Extended Range Air Defense System (ERADS) will have two Interceptor missiles - 150 kilometers range ER-SAM and...

5-day Army commanders’ conference gets underway

Top commanders of the Army Monday began deliberations on national security challenges along the...

Rafale Marine – The entry of Omni role French jet in Indian Navy’s arsenal

Source : The HinduRafale Marine - The entry of Omni role French jet in Indian Navy's arsenalOn July 13, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
Visits
error: Content is protected !!