'Made in the USA': Arms experts say US-made munitions were used in Rafah airstrike

By the Palestine Chronicle team

“Serial numbers on the leftover munitions also match those of a California-based GBU-39 parts manufacturer – indicating more evidence that the bombs were manufactured in the United States.” »

While the White House maintains that Israel has not “yet” launched a large-scale military operation in Rafah, an analysis of video footage and a review by explosive weapons experts reportedly found that U.S.-made munitions had been used in a deadly Israeli airstrike on Rafah. a camp for displaced people in Rafah on Sunday.

At least 45 Palestinians, most of them women and children, were killed in the airstrike which sparked a fire that ravaged the camp. Many were burned alive, with images shared on social media showing a baby decapitated in the attack. Nearly 250 Palestinians were injured in the strike.

At a news conference Monday, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the administration was “putting pressure” on the Israeli government to investigate the attack.

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“We saw, as I said, the preliminary investigation in which Israel claimed that Israel used the smallest bomb at its disposal to attack a very specific target. It wasn't a 500 pound bomb or a 2,000 pound bomb. I think it was like 37 kilograms or 37 pounds,” he said. “A much smaller weapon designed to hit a site 1.7 kilometers from the Mawasi area, where they asked civilians to move.”

Miller said: “As far as our policy is concerned, we have made it clear that we oppose any large-scale military operation and what the ramifications of our policy would be if they launched such an operation in Rafah. We haven't seen them do this yet.

“Risks in densely populated areas”

Meanwhile, a CNN analysis of video from the scene and a review by explosive weapons experts found that “U.S.-made munitions were used Sunday in the deadly Israeli strike on a displaced persons camp in Rafah “.

CNN said it had “geolocated videos showing burning tents following the attack on the internally displaced persons camp known as Kuwait Peace Camp 1.”

“In a video shared on social media, which CNN geolocated to the same scene by matching details, including the camp entrance sign and tiles on the ground, the tail of a small diameter bomb (SDB) American-made GBU-39 is visible.” the report said, citing four explosive weapons experts who viewed the video for CNN.

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The report states that, according to explosive weapons expert Chris Cobb-Smith, the GBU-39, manufactured by Boeing, “is a high-precision munition” designed to attack strategically important point targets “and cause low collateral damage.” .

However, Cobb-Smith said, “using any munition, even of this size, will always carry risks in a densely populated area.” The weapons expert is also a former British Army artillery officer.

“The warhead part is distinct”

Trevor Ball, a former member of the US Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, also identified the fragment as coming from a GBU-39, CNN said.

“The warhead portion (of the munition) is distinct, and the guidance and wing section is extremely unique compared to other munitions,” Ball said. “Munition guidance sections and wings are often leftovers, even after a munition explodes. I saw the tail actuation section and immediately knew it was one of the SDB/GBU-39 variants. »

Ball, CNN said, “also concluded that while there is a variant of the GBU-39 known as the Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) that has a larger explosive payload but is designed to cause even less damage collaterals, this is not the variant used in this case.

“The FLM has a carbon fiber composite warhead body and is filled with tungsten ground into powder. Photos from the FLM tests showed objects covered in tungsten dust, which is not present. [in video from the scene]” he told CNN.

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Manufacturer “based in California”

The report states: “Serial numbers on the remnant munitions also match those of a California-based GBU-39 parts manufacturer – indicating further evidence that the bombs were manufactured in the United States.” »

The channel spoke with two other experts on explosive weapons: Richard Weir, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch, and Chris Lincoln-Jones, former British Army artillery officer and weapons expert and targeting. The two experts “identified the fragment as part of a US-made GBU-39 when reviewing the video for CNN, although they were unable to comment on the variant used” .

Protests at the White House

On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the White House in the US capital to protest Sunday's Israeli attack, calling on the US government to end funding for Israel's war on Gaza.

The protest was supported by several pro-Palestinian groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Maryland for Palestine, according to the Anadolu news agency.

“All eyes are on Rafah” – Image shared by millions of people on social media

The demonstrators held banners saying “Free Palestine”, “End all US funding of Israeli apartheid”, “All eyes on Rafah” and “Stop this massacre”.

Protesters chanted “Stop bombing Rafah now” and “End the occupation now.”

(PC, Anadolu)