Israel Deploys AI Surveillance to Expedite West Bank Evictions

Amid global debates on the ethics of artificial intelligence and automated decision-making, Israel has integrated AI systems into its military and administrative operations in the occupied West Bank. According to researchers and rights activists, these technologies are being weaponized to survey Palestinian land and accelerate forced displacements.

PalDigital, citing activists and Israeli media reports, identified a specific tool known as ImiSight, developed by defense manufacturer Rafael. The software monitors large areas of land to detect changes that authorities then use to justify demolitions. Initially deployed against Bedouin Palestinian citizens in Israel’s Negev desert, the system targets communities living in unrecognized villages where building permits are rarely granted. Activists describe this as a discriminatory strategy aimed at clearing land for Jewish settlements.

The technology has since been extended to the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian residents face similarly restrictive permit regimes. In April 2025, Israel established an enforcement unit within the Israel Land Authority specifically to operate in the region. Peace Now, an Israeli human rights organization, characterized this move as a step toward annexation, noting the agency employs advanced AI tools to detect alleged encroachments.

Amir Daoud of the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission described the establishment of the unit as a calculated escalation. “We are talking about transferring a surveillance and eviction model tested against Palestinians in the Negev to the occupied Palestinian territory,” Daoud told Al Jazeera. He warned that introducing an Israeli civilian government apparatus directly into occupied territory poses significant political dangers.

Technological advancements have further streamlined this process. Khaled Safi, a Palestinian digital media expert, explained that modern satellites now function as edge computing terminals in orbit. By processing images via AI while still in space, these systems bypass traditional delays associated with human oversight, allowing for rapid identification of changes and targets.

Data indicates the impact of this automation is substantial. Israeli media reported in January 2025 that ImiSight had enabled the surveying of over 10,700 square kilometers in the Negev, contributing to the eviction of more than 2,600 Bedouin citizens. In the West Bank, comparisons between 2010–2022 and 2023–2025 show an 80 percent increase in demolitions in Area C and occupied East Jerusalem. From 2023 to 2025, an average of 966 buildings were destroyed annually, with 1,288 structures razed in the first nine months of 2025 alone.

“The algorithm here is a ‘force multiplier’: It scans vast areas, prioritises targets, identifies recent changes and allows a faster transition to warning and demolition,” Daoud said. “The government makes the decision of decisive displacement, and the algorithm lowers the cost of executing it.”

This enforcement network is bolstered by significant funding for settler patrols. In 2023, the Israeli government allocated 33 million shekels to patrols and 40 million shekels to equip outposts with drones and cameras. Safi highlighted the ethical risks of removing humans from critical decisions, noting that automating such outcomes disperses responsibility and allows perpetrators to evade accountability.

The technological push coincides with expanded settlement activity. Between 2023 and 2025, the Israeli government advanced plans for over 40,000 settler housing units and established 185 new outposts, both actions considered illegal under international law. During the same period, 118 Palestinian shepherding communities were expelled. Approximately 750,000 settlers currently reside in the occupied territories, and settler violence reached a record 1,836 attacks in 2025.

Daoud criticized the double standards inherent in the system, describing it as an engine for segregation. He noted that Palestinian structures are rapidly identified and demolished, while colonial outposts are funded, connected to services, and later legalized retroactively. Additionally, Palestinian authorities have condemned the launch of an online land registry in Area C as a digital mechanism to finalize administrative annexation.

Safi warned that the West Bank serves a dual purpose for Israel’s defense industry. “The Palestinian territories are not just a surveillance space, but a very clear environment for the occupation to execute all these operations in the field,” he said. “It trains its algorithms on the highest technologies, and makes them ready for sale and global marketing to commercial companies.”