Israel has installed intelligent automatic weapons (robots) capable of firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets at Palestinian protesters in two restless areas of the West Bank, the agency said. Associated press.
The agency said the weapons, set up near a crowded Palestinian refugee camp and in a tense West Bank city, use artificial intelligence to track targets.
The system, equipped with a camera and a machine gun, was recently installed on a watchtower full of surveillance cameras overlooking the Arroub refugee camp in the southern West Bank.
Eyewitnesses told the agency that when young Palestinian protesters took to the streets and threw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers, automatic weapons fired tear gas or rubber bullets at them.
About a month ago, the Israeli military placed the robots in the nearby city of Hebron, where soldiers often clash with stone-throwing Palestinian residents. The army declined to comment on its plans to deploy the system elsewhere in the West Bank.
The agency quoted Palestinian activist Issa Amro as saying Hebron residents fear misuse of the new weapon, adding that people are also angry at what they say is the weapons testing on civilians.
The agency indicated that the system is operated remotely at the touch of a button, as Israeli soldiers inside a watchtower can fire at specific targets.
The Israeli military says the system is currently in testing and only fires “non-lethal” weapons used for crowd control, such as rubber bullets and tear gas.
Residents of Arroub camp say the towers have caused frequent tear gas in the hillside camp.
The use of smart weapons is increasing significantly around the world, with militaries expanding their use of drones to carry out lethal strikes.
The agency confirmed that the use of these types of weapons is increasing significantly worldwide, whether by the United States in Iraq, or by South Korea along the border with North Korea, or by of various rebel groups in Syria.
The towers at Arroub’s camp were built by Smart Shooter, a company that makes fire control systems, which said the new system reduces casualties and reduces collateral damage by making shots more accurate.
In a densely populated area like Arroub, the company says soldiers can monitor specific people and target “less sensitive” areas of the body to minimize damage and avoid shooting bystanders.
However, Human Rights Watch director in Israel and Palestine, Omar Shakir, believes that Israel, through the use of these technologies, could lead to widespread human rights violations.
Violence has increased in the West Bank in recent months, with Israel stepping up its raids and arrests, after a series of Palestinian attacks inside Israel that killed 19 people last spring.
More than 130 Palestinians have been killed this year, and at least 10 Israelis, according to the Associated Press.
