HCHR- “Six months into the current military offensive, more housing and civilian infrastructure has now been destroyed in Gaza as a percentage, compared to any conflict in memory,” they said. “Homes are gone, and with that, the memories, hopes and aspirations of Palestinians and their ability to realise other rights, including their rights to land, food, water, sanitation, health, security and privacy (especially of women and girls), education, development, a healthy environment and self-determination. And this comes on top of systematic demolitions of Palestinian homes over decades of occupation and previous bombardments.”
According to the experts, the systematic and widespread destruction of housing, services and civilian infrastructure represents a crime against humanity, a domicide, as well as numerous war crimes and acts of genocide as described by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Te
rritory in her recent report to the Human Rights Council.
“If proven true, the shocking revelations of the use of AI systems by the Israeli military such as “Gospel”, “Lavender” and “Where's Daddy?”, combined with lowered human due diligence to avoid or minimise civilian casualties and infrastructure, contribute to explaining the extent of the death toll and home destruction in Gaza,” the experts said.
More than 15,000 deaths, almost half of all civilian deaths so far, occurred during the first six weeks after October 7, when AI systems seem to have been largely relied upon for target selection.
Between 60-70% of all homes in Gaza, and up to 84% of homes in northern Gaza, are either fully destroyed or partly damaged. The World Bank, UN and EU estimate that damage to the Strip thus far is $18.5 billion or 97% of the total GDP of Gaza and West Bank.
The experts: Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.