Israel used US bombs in attack in Rafah that killed dozens of people

The bombs used in Sunday’s Israeli attack that killed dozens of Palestinians at a camp for displaced people in Rafah were American-made, according to weapons experts and visual evidence seen by The New York Times.

The remains of ammunition filmed the next day at the site of the attack were the remains of a GBU-39, a bomb designed and manufactured in the United States, the Times found. U.S. authorities are urging Israel to use more of the type, saying it could reduce civilian casualties.

The key detail found in the weapon debris was the tail actuation system that controls the fins that guide the GBU-39 to a target, according to Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician who previously identified the weapon on X. The weapon’s unique bolt pattern and the slot where the folding fins are stowed were clearly visible in the debris, Ball said.

The munition fragments filmed by Palestinian journalist Alam Sadeq are also marked with a series of numbers beginning with “81873,” the unique identification code assigned by the U.S. government to Woodward, a Colorado-based aerospace company that supplies parts for bombs like the GBU-39.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 45 people were killed and more than 240 injured in the explosion and subsequent fires at Kuwait’s Al-Salam Camp 1, which was built in early January.

U.S. officials have been urging the Israeli military for months to increase its use of GBU-39 bombs in Gaza because they are generally more accurate and better suited to urban environments than larger bombs, including American-made 2,000-pound bombs that Israel routinely uses. President Biden said earlier this month that the U.S. would suspend deliveries of the larger bombs.

“The attack was carried out with two types of munitions with small warheads suitable for this targeted attack,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, during a press conference on Tuesday. The bombs contained 17 kilograms of explosives, he said. “This is the smallest munitions our jets can use.”

When asked by The Times, the Israeli military declined to provide information about the ammunition used. The GBU-39 has a net explosive weight of about 17 kilograms or 37 pounds.

Admiral Hagari said the military had taken measures to target two Hamas leaders killed in the attack, and that the munitions were not expected to harm nearby civilians. The bombs were dropped on sheds in a camp for internally displaced people, and many tents were visible nearby. Footage shows the bombing sparked deadly fires.

Admiral Hagari said the Israeli military’s investigation was ongoing. He suspected the fire may have been caused by a secondary explosion, suggesting that weapons may have been stored in the area.

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

Frederic Gras, a French munitions consultant, questioned the Israeli military’s reasoning. “Any explosion or detonation will cause a fire as soon as there are flammable products nearby,” he said, pointing out that such warehouses often contain many gas cylinders and lamps.

A video taken by witnesses after the attack shows the extent of the suffering. People scream as they pull charred bodies from the rubble while flames rage behind them. One man holds up the body of a headless child.

“The Israelis have said they used 37-pound bombs,” White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing on Tuesday. “If they did use such bombs, then that is certainly an indication that they were trying to be discreet, targeted and precise.”

Larry Lewis, a former Pentagon and State Department adviser who has authored several federal government reports on civilian threats, said it appears the Israeli military in this case took steps to reduce the danger to civilians.

“Secondary explosions can be difficult to predict,” Lewis said.

However, he expressed concern that surveillance footage released by the military showed four people outside the targeted buildings before the attack. Mr Lewis said the decision to attack at that time raised questions about whether the Israeli military “knew and accepted a possible civilian casualty” or did not notice the people, suggesting possible problems with its precautions.

Wes J. Bryant, a retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant who was part of a task force that criticized Israel’s use of weapons in Gaza, told the Times that he had dropped many GBU-39 bombs during his military service and that this attack was problematic.

“It suggests continued negligence in targeting – either an unwillingness or inability to effectively protect civilians,” Bryant said. “When you use a weapon designed for precision and low collateral damage in an area where there are a lot of civilians, you defeat that intended mission.”

Neil Collier, Eric Schmitt And Aaron Boxerman Collaboration in reporting. Additional production of Ainara Tiefenthäler And Shawn Paik.