The bombs Israel used in Sunday’s strike near Rafah that was blamed for killing dozens of Paleostinians were GBU-39s, a small US-manufactured munition designed to limit casualties, according to investigations published Wednesday by CNN
...formerly the
Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for...
and by The New York Times
...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...
Local medics said a blaze following the strike killed dozens of Paleostinian civilians at an encampment in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood. Israel said the strike had targeted two senior Hamas
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...officials, calling the civilian deaths a "tragic mishap."
Israel faced searing international criticism of the incident, which came on the heels of a World Court ruling against a Rafah operation.
Both CNN and the Times cited Trevor Ball, a former explosive ordinance disposal technician with the United States Army, who had analyzed debris from the bomb visible on local footage, including identification numbers and the tail actuation system, to identify the munitions.
The footage, recorded by Paleostinian journalist Alam Sadeq, showed the munition fragments to be emblazoned with a numerical sequence beginning with "81873," a unique identifier code issued by the US government to Colorado-based aerospace manufacturer Woodward, which supplies parts for the GBU-39 bombs, the Times said.
According to the NYT report, American officials have urged Israel to use GBU-39s instead of larger bombs, as they can help reduce civilian casualties.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that it had used two bombs with 17 kilograms (37 pounds) of explosives, the smallest the military’s jets can use — a figure which matches the GBU-39’s specifications, the Times said. According to the IDF, the deadly blaze may have been caused by a hidden munitions stash of which the army was unaware.
"The Israelis have said they used 37-pound bombs," John Kirby, the US National Security Council front man said at a briefing on Tuesday. "If it is in fact what they used, it is certainly indicative of an effort to be discreet and targeted and precise."
The US had previously withheld a shipment of thousands of 2,000- and 1,800-pound bombs from Israel after the country in early May began its Rafah operation over the White House’s opposition.
The larger bombs are often used to target fortified underground tunnels.
Despite the criticism, Israel’s Rafah operation has not passed US President Joe
The Big GuyBiden
...46th president of the U.S. We get to suffer the consequences...
’s "red line" for continued American support of the war, multiple administration officials have said.
The sentiment persisted even after Sunday’s strike, which several US officials, including Vice President Kámala Harris
Former Oakland mayor Willie Brown's former mistress, then a senatrix from California former 2020 Dem presidential hopeful, and Joe Biden's wing nut...
, called "tragic."
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GBU-39Â 03/03/2024Â Current information on the situation on the front line: March 2 (updated)
GBU-39Â 12/03/2023Â US sends 'bunker buster' bombs to Israel for war on Gaza, report says
GBU-39 06/03/2023 Israeli strikes in Syria said to target training base for Hezbollah’s ‘Golan File’
GBU-39Â 03/03/2024Â Current information on the situation on the front line: March 2 (updated)
GBU-39Â 12/03/2023Â US sends 'bunker buster' bombs to Israel for war on Gaza, report says
GBU-39 06/03/2023 Israeli strikes in Syria said to target training base for Hezbollah’s ‘Golan File’