US fails to verify whether Israel used its weapons in Rafah massacre

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken said he could not verify whether Israel used US-sent weapons in its latest massacre in Rafah, which killed dozens of civilians seeking refuge in a camp for people displaced in an area designated as a safe zone in Gaza.

Blinken told reporters during a visit to Moldova that the weapons used and how they were used should be investigated in the attack.

However, a CNN report and analysis, prepared with the help of four explosives experts, highlighted that US-made munitions were used in the attack.

“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, according to four explosive weapons experts who viewed the video for CNN,” the report said.

Explosive weapons expert Chris Cobb-Smith told US media that the bomb, designed to cause low collateral damage, was manufactured by Boeing. Three other experts also confirmed that it was an American-made GBU-39 bomb.

The United States, which has been criticized for its unwavering support for Israeli massacres in Gaza, said the Rafah killings did not “cross the red line” and would not change its policy.

Meanwhile, Blinken also said Israel should immediately investigate the Rafah incident that killed and injured around 300 people.

“The Rafah incident was horrific. I don't think anyone who saw the footage couldn't be profoundly affected on a human level by it. We have been very clear with Israel about the imperative in this and other cases case to immediately investigate and determine exactly what happened and why it happened. If accountability is necessary, make sure it exists,” Blinken said.

Blinken also said that incidents similar to the recent deaths in Rafah underscore the urgent need to develop a post-war plan in the Gaza Strip.

“What weapons were used or how they were used in Rafah should be the result of a deliberate, but also rapid, investigation… We see that limited and focused targeted attacks are designed to combat terrorists who killed innocent civilians… these kinds of operations can have terrible, horrible consequences, without oversight.

“This is very important at this time, after Israel has actually succeeded in helping to destroy Hamas' ability to repeat the attacks of October 7. It must ask Gaza for a plan… In the absence of a plan, how does this stack up against some of the unintentional but horrific coincidences of military action in a place where the people you are pursuing are so closely intertwined with civilians,” Blinken added.

According to Blinken, this highlights the importance of having a plan.

A May 26 Israeli strike on a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah killed and injured around 300 people, drawing vehement condemnation from around the world.

Israel is accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately suspend its operations in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had sought refuge fleeing war before its invasion on May 6.