Researchers allege AI is accelerating West Bank demolitions
Rights groups say Israel’s use of AI-assisted imagery is helping identify alleged unauthorised Palestinian structures, though the system’s direct role in demolition decisions remains unclear.
Researchers and rights activists allege that Israeli authorities are using artificial intelligence to survey Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and prioritise structures for possible demolition. The claims centre on ImiSight, an AI surveillance tool developed by Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael.
Reporting by Al Jazeera, citing PalDigital, rights groups and Israeli media reports, says ImiSight can analyse aerial and satellite imagery to detect landscape changes. The system reportedly identifies possible unauthorised structures and helps move cases towards enforcement, but the available evidence does not establish that it independently determines demolitions.
An Israel Land Authority enforcement unit was reportedly established in April 2025 to operate in the West Bank. Peace Now described the move as a step towards annexation and said the agency uses advanced technology based on artificial intelligence to detect encroachments. The Israeli military and ImiSight had not responded to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.
The reported use of AI follows earlier deployment of ImiSight in the Naqab desert, where Israeli media said it was used to survey more than 10,700 square kilometres and contributed to the eviction of more than 2,600 Palestinian Bedouin citizens of Israel. Researchers and Palestinian officials allege that a similar surveillance and enforcement model is now being applied in the West Bank.
Peace Now and Kerem Navot reported an 80 per cent increase in demolitions in Area C and occupied East Jerusalem when comparing 2010–2022 with 2023–2025. They recorded an average of 966 buildings demolished each year during the later period. Area C, as described in the source, is under complete Israeli military and administrative control. Researchers say AI may reduce the time between detecting changes and initiating enforcement, while government authorities retain responsibility for the decisions.
