Israel Uses Robotic Weapons in West Bank

In two areas in the occupied West Bank, Israel has put in robotic weapons that can fire tear gas, stun¹ grenades, and sponge-tipped bullets at Palestinian protesters.

The weapons, located in the Al-Aroub refugee camp and the city of Hebron, use artificial intelligence to follow targets. Israel says the technology saves lives — both Israeli and Palestinian. But critics see moral or ethical² problems with such weapons systems.

Tensions

The robotic weapons systems come at a time of increased tensions in the occupied West Bank. Unrest has risen there during what has been the deadliest year since 2006.

The victory by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alliance, which includes a party with close ties to the settler movement, has raised concerns of more violence.

One of the weapon systems is located on a guard tower overlooking the Al-Aroub refugee camp in the southern West Bank. Witnesses say that when young Palestinian protesters enter the streets throwing stones and firebombs at Israeli soldiers, the weapons shoot tear gas or sponge-tipped bullets at them.

About a month ago, the military also placed the robots in the nearby city of Hebron, where soldiers often clash with stone-throwing Palestinians. The army declined to comment on its plans to deploy³ the system elsewhere in the West Bank.

Palestinian activist⁴ Issa Amro said Hebron residents fear the new weapon might be misused⁵ or hacked⁷. He added that people also do not like what they say is a weapons test on civilians⁸.

"We are not a training and simulation for Israeli companies," he said. "This is something new that must be stopped."

There are no soldiers next to the machines. Instead, the weapons are operated by remote control. At the touch of a button, soldiers inside a guard tower can fire at selected targets.

The army says the system is under testing and fires only "non-lethal⁹" weapons used for crowd control, such as sponge-tipped bullets and tear gas.

Around the world

Robotic weapons are increasingly common around the world. Militaries use drones to carry out lethal strikes in places like Ukraine and Ethiopia. Remote-controlled guns like the Israeli system in the West Bank have been used by the United States in Iraq, by South Korea along the border with North Korea, and by Syrian rebel groups.

Israel, known for its advanced military technologies, is among the world's top producers of drones capable of launching precision-guided missiles. It has built a fence along its border with the Gaza Strip equipped with radar¹⁰ and underground and underwater sensors¹¹. Above ground, it uses a robotic vehicle, equipped with cameras and machine guns, to patrol borders.

"Israel is using technology as a means to control the civil population," said Dror Sadot, spokeswoman for Israeli rights group B'Tselem. She said that even supposedly non-lethal weapons like sponge bullets can cause extreme pain and even be deadly.

The system in Al-Aroub was built by Smart Shooter, a company that makes "fire control systems" that it says "increase the accuracy, lethality¹², and situational awareness¹³ of small arms." The company has deals with many militaries around the world, including the U.S. Army.

Speaking at the company's headquarters in Kibbutz Yagur in northern Israel, Chief Executive Michal Mor said the gun requires human selection of targets and military equipment.

"They always have a man ... making the decision regarding the legitimate¹⁴ target," she said.

She said the system reduces injuries and deaths by distancing soldiers from violence and by making shots more accurate.

Unclear future

But Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said Israel is on a "slide toward the digital dehumanization of weapons systems." By using such technologies, Shakir said Israel is creating "a powder keg for human rights abuse." A powder keg is a situation that is likely to become dangerous or violent.

In Al-Aroub, residents say the machines fire without warning.

"It is very fast, even faster than the soldiers," said Kamel Abu Hishesh, a 19-year-old student. He described almost nightly clashes where soldiers enter the camp as the automated¹⁵ gun fires tear gas.

Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security is a former U.S. Army shooting expert. He said that without emotion and with a better aim, automated systems can possibly reduce violence.

But he said the absence of international rules for "killer¹⁶ robots" is a problem. Otherwise, he said, it is only a matter of time before these weapons systems are equipped to use deadly force.

Words in This Story

sponge-tipped bullet – n. a kind of projectile¹⁷ that limits breaking or penetration¹⁸ of the skin

hack⁶ – v. computers : to secretly get access to the files on a computer or network in order to get information, cause damage, etc.

precision -- n. the quality of being precise : exactness or accuracy

legitimate – adj. allowed according to rules or laws; real, accepted, or official

slide – n. a movement to a lower or worse state or condition

automated – adj. : to run or operate (something, such as a factory or system) by using machines, computers, etc., instead of people

1 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

2 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

3 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

4 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

5 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

7 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

10 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

11 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

12 lethality   

n.致命性，毁坏性

参考例句：

• Modern weapons have greater range, accuracy, speed, and lethality than anything ever dreamed of before. 现代的武器比从前所梦想的任何武器射得更远，射得更准，速度更快，而且更具有杀伤力。 来自辞典例句
• The Mk 46 provides long-range lethality while engaging small, high-speed, surface targets. 该系统在舰船遭遇小型高速水面目标时将提供远距离的致命杀伤力。 来自互联网

13 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

14 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

15 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

16 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

17 projectile   

n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的

参考例句：

• The vertical and horizontal motions of a projectile can be treated independently.抛射体的竖直方向和水平方向的运动能够分开来处理。
• Have you altered the plans of the projectile as the telegram suggests?你已经按照电报的要求修改炮弹图样了吗?

18 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。