NYT Investigation: Israel Used 'Most Destructive' Bombs in Areas Designated as Safe in South Gaza Strip
In its investigation, The New York Times noted that '2,000-pound bombs posed a pervasive threat to civilians seeking safety across south Gaza,' while also drawing attention to the U.S. supplying Israel with 'more than 5,000' such munitions
An investigation by The New York Times published on Thursday found that Israel has used one of its most destructive and largest bombs over 200 times in areas in southern Gaza it designated as safe for civilians over the course of its war against Hamas.
The investigation used AI-based analysis of satellite imagery and drone footage of southern Gaza to identify craters "measuring 40 feet across or larger," which according to munitions experts cited by the Times "typically only 2,000-pound bombs form." According to the article, 208 such craters have been located.
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"Because of limited satellite imagery and variations in a bomb's effects, there are likely to have been many cases that were not captured," The Times noted, before concluding that the findings "reveal that 2,000-pound bombs posed a pervasive threat to civilians seeking safety across south Gaza."
Bombs weighing about a ton are utilized by several Western armies, including the U.S. military. However, according to experts, the U.S. tends to refrain from currently using them in densely populated areas.
In a statement issued in response to the findings, an Israeli military spokesman was quoted in the Times as saying that "questions of this kind will be looked into at a later stage," and that the IDF "takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm." He also emphasized that Israel's priority is on destroying Hamas.
The U.S. pressed Israel to do more to minimize the number of civilians killed in the war in the Gaza Strip. The Pentagon also increased its arms shipments to Israel, including smaller bombs that are considered more suitable for use in densely populated and urban environments like the Gaza Strip.
However, the Times' report also highlighted the Biden administration's steadfast support of Israel in the war, noting that the U.S. supplied Israel with "more than 5,000 MK-84 munitions — a type of 2,000-pound bomb," since October.
A recent opinion poll published in the Times showed that Joe Biden's handling of the Gaza war has been met with solid disapproval among Americans, particularly younger Democrats. The poll reported that 57 percent of voters exhibited dissatisfaction with Biden's approach, and 33 percent supported it, while among younger voters, almost three-quarters expressed dissatisfaction with Biden's approach to the war.