Israel used US-made bombs to kill dozens of civilians in Rafah, weapons experts reveal, after blast sparks international outcry

Bombs used in the Israeli attack on a displaced persons camp in Rafah, which killed dozens of Palestinians, have been identified as being made in the United States, according to weapons experts and visual evidence reviewed by the New York Times.

The debris from the strike included the remains of a GBU-39 bomb, designed and manufactured in the United States.

U.S. officials have advocated for Israel to use the bomb, saying it minimizes civilian casualties.

Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician, identified the bomb by its tail and unique bolt pattern.

“I immediately knew the housing was a GBU,” Ball told CBS News. “I've seen a lot in this conflict, and I even went back and looked at past conflicts just to get an idea of ​​what ordinances Israel used in the past when I started investigating this , and it's a very good idea. separate object, the GBU It's a very unique round.

The fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, since Monday.

Palestinians search for food among burned debris following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

The fragments, filmed by Palestinian journalist Alam Sadeq, also bore numbers beginning with “81873,” identifying the parts as being manufactured by Woodward, a Colorado-based aerospace company.

At least 45 people from the Kuwaiti Al-Salam 1 camp, built in January, were killed by the bomb blast and resulting fires, according to Gaza's health ministry. Another 240 people were injured.

The United States has been pushing for Israeli military leaders to use GBU-39 bombs more often because they are more accurate and better suited to urban environments than larger bombs.

Earlier this month, President Biden said the United States was suspending delivery of the larger 2,000-pound bombs that Israel often uses.

“The strike was carried out using two munitions with small warheads suitable for this targeted strike,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli army.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari explained how the military specifically took steps to target two Hamas leaders who were killed by the strike and did not expect the bombs to harm nearby civilians.

National security communications adviser John Kirby says there are still “no major ground operations” following repeated US contacts with Israel, urging it to protect civilian life

The bombs contained 17 kilograms of explosive material, he said. “It’s the smallest munition our planes can use.”

Hagari explained how the army specifically took steps to target two Hamas leaders killed in the strike.

They did not expect the bombs to harm nearby civilians.

But the bombs landed inside a camp for people who had been displaced from other areas of Gaza earlier in the war. Tents were seen nearby, and images appeared to show fires started by the bombing.

“Our munitions alone could not have started a fire of this magnitude,” insisted Admiral Hagari.

“The Israelis said they used 37-pound bombs,” White House spokesman John F. Kirby said at a news briefing. “If that is indeed what they used, it certainly indicates an effort to be discreet, targeted and precise.”

Palestinians watch destruction after an Israeli strike on displaced people in Rafah, Gaza Strip.

Palestinians, taking their belongings with them, migrate to areas they consider safe after the Israeli army targeted tents in Al-Mawasi, previously declared a “safe zone” by Israel, in the city of Rafah , south of Gaza.

The Israeli military took control of a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border on Wednesday to cut off smuggling tunnels as it attempts to destroy the militant group Hamas in a war that has now lasted eight months.

The capture of the Philadelphia Corridor could complicate relations between Israel and Egypt, which complains about Israel's advance toward its border.

Israel says the corridor is flooded with tunnels that have transported weapons and other goods for Hamas – despite a years-long blockade by Israel and Egypt.

Israel has also intensified its incursion into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of people have sought refuge from the fighting. The army said a fifth brigade, numbering several thousand soldiers, joined troops operating in the city on Tuesday.

Egypt says any increase in troops in the strategic border area would violate the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries. He has previously complained about Israel's capture of the Rafah border crossing, the only crossing point between Gaza and Egypt.

An Israeli military official said Israel had notified Egypt of the takeover. About 20 tunnels, some previously unknown to Israel, were discovered, along with 82 access points to the tunnels, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military regulations. It was unclear whether the tunnels were currently in use.

The fighting in Rafah has displaced a million people, according to the United Nations, most of whom were already displaced from other parts of Gaza.

Palestinians see destruction after Israel bombs their tents and shelters in Rafah, Gaza

The United States and other allies have warned of a full-scale offensive in Rafah, with the Biden administration saying it would cross a “red line” and refusing to provide offensive weapons for such an endeavor. But so far he has not tried to stop Israel's advances.

Last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its Rafah offensive as part of South Africa's lawsuit accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, an accusation it Israel denies it.

The war began when militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages.

More than 100 people were released during the November ceasefire in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The Israeli offensive in response to this attack killed at least 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel claims to have killed 15,000 militants.