US-created ammunitions involved in lethal assault on Rafah tent camp, according to CNN's examination.
At least 45 individuals perished, and more than 200 others were injured, after a fire erupted in the aftermath of an Israeli military attack near the southernmost city of Gaza. Most of the victims were women and children, as per reports from the Gaza Health Ministry and Palestinian doctors. A report from CNN revealed an extensive camp in Rafah engulfed in flames, with an array of people desperately seeking shelter amidst the night assault. Charred bodies, including those of kids, were seen being retrieved from the wreckage by rescuers. The Israeli military's escalating offensive in Rafah has elicited international censure, with the United Nations, aid organizations, and several governments urging Israel to cease its operations.
Israel witnessed a significant advancement into Rafah on Tuesday for the first time since its war against Hamas began seven months ago. This action signified a change in strategies for Israel as they continued their controversial and devastating operations.
Nonetheless, US President Joe Biden is not modifying his approach towards Israel, implying the lethal strike in Rafah had yet to transgress a boundary that would compel adjustments in American support. In a CNN interview this month, Biden indicated he wouldn't award certain US weapons for large-scale offensives in Rafah.
CNN triangulated footage displaying tents ablaze after the assault on a camp referred to as "Kuwait Peace Camp 1" for internally displaced people. A video posted on social media, positionally matched to the same location via characteristics including the camp's door entrance sign and the floor tiles, disclosed remnants of a US-generated GBU-39 small diameter bomb (SDB).
Four explosive weapons experts reviewed the footage and verified the presence of a GBU-39 remnant. Although designed to inflict minimal collateral damage and attack targeted points, Cobb-Smith, an explosive weapons expert and ex-British Army artillery officer, warned about potential risks when employed in a densely populated setting.
A former US Army senior explosive ordnance disposal team member, Trevor Ball, also identified the munition from the video and determined that the Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) variant—one with an enlarged explosive payload and intended for low collateral damage—was not used.
Ball inferred this by his examination of the fragment, which showed no tungsten dust evidence, a byproduct of the FLM. Serial numbers on the components corresponded to a manufacturer of GBU-39 parts in California, bolstering evidence of American-produced bombs.
Two additional experts, Richard Weir of Human Rights Watch and Chris Lincoln-Jones—a former British Army artillery officer and weapons and targeting specialist—recognized the fragment as belonging to a US-fabricated GBU-39 but couldn't specify the variant employed.
When questioned about the munitions during the Pentagon's regular press briefing, Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary, did not provide details on the type of munition used in the Rafah strike. CNN also tried to elicit a response from the US National Security Council.
For decades, the US has been the biggest arms supplier to Israel. SIPRI data indicates that Israel continues to receive US-supplied weaponry despite the growing political pressure on the Biden administration concerning the Gaza conflict.
Last month, Biden authorized a foreign aid bill allowing $26 billion for the Israel-Hamas conflict, encompassing $15 billion in military assistance to Israel, $9 billion for humanitarian aid in Gaza, and $2.4 billion for regional US military operations.
This confirmation from CNN aligns with an IDF spokesperson's statement in the aftermath of the tragedy on Tuesday. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced that the strike, which targeted senior Hamas leaders, utilized two munitions with 17-kilogram warheads. He added these bombs were "the smallest munitions our jets could use." Hagari also stated that neither the Israeli military's weapons nor those detonations would have been sufficient to spark a fire of the magnitude in question. The IDF is still examining potential causes for the massive fire.
Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that the fatal airstrike in Rafah was a "regrettable mistake," and has promised to maintain their military operation in spite of global condemnation and a warning from the US to reconsider their actions.
A CNN report indicates that Israel is currently investigating if the attack unintentionally activated potential arms in a neighbouring facility.
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After the CNN investigation, it was revealed that US-produced GBU-39 bombs were present at the site of the lethal assault in Rafah. Despite the controversy surrounding Israel's operations in the Middle East, US President Joe Biden has not changed his approach towards Israel, indicating that the Rafah strike did not exceed a boundary requiring a shift in US support.
Source: edition.cnn.com
