Bombs used in Israeli attacks Dozens of Palestinians killed The weapons found on Sunday in a camp for displaced people near Rafah were made in the United States, according to weapons experts and visual evidence reviewed by The New York Times.
The New York Times found that the munitions debris photographed at the attack site the next day was from a GBU-39 bomb, designed and built by the U.S. American officials have been urging Israel to use more of the bombs, which they say could reduce civilian casualties.
According to Trevor Ball, a former explosive ordnance disposal technician with the U.S. Army, the key detail found in the weapon’s debris is the tail actuation system, which controls the fins that guide the GBU-39 toward its target. Earlier it was confirmed that the weapons on the XMr. Power said the weapon’s distinctive bolt shape and the notches in which the folding tail fins were stored were clearly visible in the wreckage.
The munitions fragments photographed by Palestinian journalist Alam Sadik were also marked with a series of numbers beginning with “81873.” This is a unique identification number assigned by the U.S. government to Woodward, a Colorado-based aerospace manufacturer that provides parts for bombs such as the GBU-39.
The explosion and subsequent fire at Kuwait’s Al-Salam 1 camp, which was established in early January, has killed at least 45 people and injured more than 240, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
US officials Encouraging The Israeli military has been working for months to increase its use of GBU-39 bombs in Gaza because they are generally more accurate and better suited to urban environments than other large bombs, including those made in the United States. 2,000-pound bombs frequently used by Israel. President Biden said earlier this month that the United States was suspending shipments of large bombs.
“The attack used two small-scale munitions suitable for targeted strikes,” said Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. explain At a news conference on Tuesday, he said the bombs contained 17 kilograms of explosives. “This is the smallest munition our warplanes can use.”
In response to questions from The New York Times, the Israeli military declined to provide specific information on the munitions used. Net explosion weight About 17 kilograms, or 37 pounds.
General Hajari said the military had taken steps to narrow the target to two Hamas leaders, adding that the two leaders had been killed in the attack and that the military did not expect the ammunition to harm nearby civilians. Bombs were dropped on the shed Many tents were seen nearby in a camp for displaced persons. The footage showed the explosion sparked a deadly fire.
Admiral Hagari said the Israeli military’s investigation was continuing. He suggested the fire could have been caused by a secondary explosion, suggesting weapons could be stored in the area.
Admiral Hajari said: “It is impossible to start a fire of this scale with our ammunition alone.”
French munitions consultant Frederic Grass questioned the Israeli military’s reasoning. “Any explosion or detonation will cause a fire as long as flammable items are nearby,” he said, noting that such camps usually have many gas cylinders and lamps.
Video footage shot by witnesses after the attack showed the extent of the carnage. Screaming people dragged charred bodies from the rubble as fire raged behind them. One man lifted the body of a headless child.
“The Israelis say they used a 37-pound bomb,” White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing on Tuesday. “If they did use that, it certainly shows that they acted with care, with purpose and with precision.”
Larry Lewis has served as a consultant to the Pentagon and the State Department and has written several books on federal Civilian Injury Reportsaid the Israeli military appeared to have taken steps to mitigate the danger to civilians in this incident.
“A secondary explosion is difficult to predict,” Mr Lewis said.
But he said he was troubled by surveillance footage released by the military showing four people who appeared to be outside the targeted building before the attack. Mr. Lewis said the decision to attack at the time raised questions about whether the Israeli military “knew and accepted the possible civilian casualties” or failed to notice the men, suggesting there may have been problems with their precautions.
Wes J. Bryant is a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant who served in A working group Asapov, who has criticized Israel’s use of weapons in Gaza, told The Times that he had dropped several GBU-39 bombs during his military service and that there were problems with this attack.
“It shows that the targeting negligence continues, and there is either an unwillingness or inability to effectively protect civilians,” Mr. Bryant said. “When you use a weapon that is designed to be precise and low collateral damage in an area populated by civilians, it actually defeats the intended purpose.”
Neil Collier, Eric Schmidt and Alan Boxman Contributed to this report. Other productions Enara Tiefentheller and Sean Pike.
