An American report assesses evidence of the randomness of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
US intelligence reveals that unguided "dumb" bombs constitute about half of the ammunition used by Israel in its attacks on Gaza
The report from US intelligence reveals that unguided “dumb” bombs make up about half of the ammunition used by Israel in its attacks on Gaza, providing evidence of the indiscriminate bombing targeting the Gaza Strip during the deadly war. Meanwhile, Israel faces increasing international isolation due to its killing of thousands of civilians and ignoring calls for a ceasefire.
The American network CNN published details of the report on Thursday, indicating that between 40-45% of the 29,000 air-to-ground munitions used by Israel in its attacks on Gaza were unguided bombs, while the rest were precision-guided bombs. The report emphasizes that unguided bombs pose a greater danger to civilians, especially in densely populated areas like Gaza, as they are less accurate and do not target specific objectives, resulting in an increased number of civilian casualties.
Experts interviewed by CNN refuted Israel’s argument that the use of unguided bombs aims to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza, highlighting the significant harm caused to civilians by this practice. Brian Castner, Chief Crisis Advisor for the International Crisis Response Program, affiliated with Amnesty International, expressed deep shock and concern about Israel‘s use of unguided bombs, stating that it is a significant problem causing harm to civilians.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden stated that Israel is losing international support due to its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must change his government to find a long-term solution. In a call with Netanyahu, Biden stressed the need for Israel to show more sensitivity regarding the targeting of civilians in Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes continued in various parts of Gaza in the past few hours, killing families in their homes, while Washington sent an envoy to encourage its ally to be more precise in its war against Hamas. The war, which erupted over two months ago across the Palestinian territories, is causing a humanitarian catastrophe with no end in sight.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who visited Israel, that it would take a long time, more than several months, but they would prevail and defeat them.
In Rafah, filled with displaced people sheltering in makeshift tents on the southern edge of Gaza, the cries of women and men rise in a mortuary containing the bodies of those killed in the latest airstrike, wrapped in blood-stained shrouds. Some of the victims were children.
On Thursday, the Palestinian presidency blamed the US administration for the “aggression” and Israeli escalation in Palestinian territories, including the invasion of Jenin in the West Bank and the ongoing war on Gaza. Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh stated that the US administration bears the consequences of this ongoing aggression and must intervene immediately to stop this Israeli madness, expressed explicitly by Benjamin Netanyahu, who indicated Israel‘s strong desire to inflame the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
He considered the United States the only one capable of compelling Israel to stop the aggression and preventing the region from descending into endless wars. He noted that this escalation serves as an Israeli message to Biden’s administration on the eve of the visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to the region.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) described 2023 as the “bloodiest” year in the West Bank since the UN agency began recording and documenting the number of victims of Israeli army practices and settlers in the West Bank in 2005.
