New evidence suggests that US munitions were used in the Israeli attack on Rafah on Sunday, according to a recent CNN analysis of video from the scene.
CNN claims to have obtained footage of the Rafah camp in flames, with people rushing to safety from the strikes. They also claim the video shows “burned bodies, including those of children, being pulled from the wreckage by rescuers.”
Palestinian media reported that 45 people were killed and 200 injured after the Israeli strike caused a fire. Gaza’s health ministry and Palestinian doctors say most of the victims were women and children.
Weapon Experts
CNN geolocated the videos to a displaced persons camp called Kuwait Peace Camp 1. They were able to match details from the video, including the camp sign and the floor tiles.
CNN claims that in the video, parts of weapons are visible. They referred to the help of four explosive weapons experts, who identified in the image the tail of an American-made GBU-39 small diameter bomb (SDB).
The GBU-39, a Boeing munition, is a high-precision munition “designed to attack strategically important point targets” and results in low collateral damage, the explosive weapons expert and former artillery officer told CNN on Tuesday of the British Army Chris Cobb-Smith. However, Cobb-Smith stressed that there were risks involved in using such munitions, particularly when used in a densely populated area.
Expert Trevor Ball, a former member of the US Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, confirmed Cobb-Smith’s identification of the GBU-39.
“The warhead portion (of the munition) is distinct, and the guidance and wing section is extremely unique compared to other munitions. Guidance and wing sections of munitions are often leftovers, even after a munitions detonation. I saw the tail actuation section and immediately knew it was one of the SDB/GBU-39 variants. »
Ball noted that this particular GBU-39 was not the variant known as a focused lethality munition (FLM) which has a larger explosive payload.
Experts told CNN that the serial numbers visible on the munitions fragments matched those of a California-based GBU-39 parts manufacturer. This constitutes further proof of American manufacturing of the bombs.
Richard Weir, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch, and Chris Lincoln-Jones, a former British army artillery officer and weapons and targeting expert, corroborated these remarks to CNN.
The New York Times reports that the United States has actually been pushing Israel to use more of these types of bombs, “which it says can reduce civilian casualties.”
“They are generally more precise and better suited to urban environments than larger bombs,” the Times continued, “including the 2,000-pound bombs made in the United States and which Israel uses regularly.”
American response
CNN has contacted the Pentagon for comment; however, deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said: “I would have to refer you to the Israelis” for further details.
Singh also stressed that the US government was not directly involved in the strike: “We are not on the ground, this is not our operation. »
“We continue to provide Israel with the weapons it needs to defeat Hamas,” she continued.
The White House spokesperson told reporters Wednesday: “We are not going to talk about individual payload loadings on individual Israeli aircraft. »
First results
The identification of the experts is consistent with a statement by IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari on Tuesday, who said two munitions with small warheads of 17 kilos of explosives each had been used to target senior Hamas commanders during of an airstrike.
Hagari told reporters the munitions were the smallest the IAF jets could use.
The traditional GBU-39 warhead has an explosive charge of 17 kilos, according to Hagari.
Hagari stressed that “IDF munitions alone could not have started a fire of this magnitude” and that the IDF was investigating “what could have caused a fire of this magnitude.” He said the investigation would explore the possibility that the fire started because of the strike that accidentally ignited Hamas weapons that were stored in the compound next to the target.
“It should be noted that Hamas has been operating from this area since October 7. Here in this satellite image, 43 meters from the structure we targeted, you can see Hamas rocket launchers.
Hagari added that the Israeli military was also “evaluating footage filmed by Gaza residents the night of the attack … which appears to show secondary explosions indicating that there may have been weapons that caught fire.” “.
Larry Lewis, a former Pentagon and State Department adviser, spoke to The New York Times and said it appeared Israel had taken steps to mitigate harm to civilians.
“Secondary explosions can be difficult to anticipate,” Lewis told the Times.
US military aid to Israel
The United States is Israel’s largest arms supplier, having signed a bill last month providing $15 billion in military aid to Israel.
The US Air Force on Thursday signed a $7.4 billion contract with Boeing – the producer of the munitions identified in the Rafah attack – for the indefinite supply of JDAM tail kits, spare parts, repair and laser JDAM until 2030. These kits transform “dumb” bombs into precision, guided bombs.
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News Source : www.jpost.com
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