Israel is deploying advanced facial recognition technology in Gaza to locate terror suspects, three Israeli intelligence officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to The New York Times on Wednesday.
According to the report, Mosab Abu Toha, a 31-year-old Palestinian poet residing in the Gaza Strip, claimed that about a month after the onset of the war, he was taken for questioning by Israeli forces who blindfolded him and escorted him for interrogation.
"I had no idea what was happening or how they could suddenly know my full legal name," he said. It later emerged, as alleged, that Abu Toha was identified as a suspect through artificial intelligence facial recognition software.
Abu Toha inadvertently entered the vicinity of cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. Following a scan of his face and subsequent identification, an artificial intelligence program determined that the poet was listed as a suspect by Israel, according to three Israeli intelligence officials.
The technology was initially deployed in Gaza to locate Israelis who were abducted by Hamas during the October 7 terror attack, according to intelligence officials. As Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza, it increasingly relied on the program to identify suspects affiliated with Hamas or other terror groups. However, there were instances where the technology misidentified civilians as suspected Hamas terrorists, as reported by one officer.
The facial recognition program, operated by Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, including the cyber-intelligence division Unit 8200, uses technology provided by Corsight, a private Israeli company, according to four intelligence officers. They noted that intelligence services also used Google Photos. Together, these technologies empower Israel to identify suspects from crowds and enhance the clarity of drone footage.
Three sources familiar with the program expressed their concerns, citing worries about its potential misuse of Israel's time and resources.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit declined to comment on activity in Gaza, but said the military “carries out necessary security and intelligence operations while making significant efforts to minimize harm to the uninvolved population.” He added, “Naturally, we cannot refer to operational and intelligence capabilities in this context.”
