GAZA — During
the first six weeks of the war in the
Gaza Strip, Israel routinely used one of
its biggest and most destructive bombs in areas it designated safe for
civilians, according to an analysis of visual evidence by The New York Times.
اضافة اعلان
The
video investigation focuses on the use of 2,000-pound bombs in an area of
southern Gaza where Israel had ordered civilians to move for safety. Although
bombs of that size are used by several Western militaries, munitions experts
say they are rarely dropped by
US forces in densely populated areas anymore.
The
Times programmed an artificial intelligence tool to scan satellite imagery of
south Gaza for bomb craters. Times reporters manually reviewed the search
results, looking for craters measuring roughly 40 feet across or larger.
Munitions experts say typically only
2,000-pound bombs form craters of that
size in Gaza’s light, sandy soil.
Ultimately,
the investigation identified 208 craters in satellite imagery and drone
footage. Because of limited satellite imagery and variations in a bomb’s
effects, there are likely to have been many cases that were not captured.
However, the findings reveal that 2,000-pound bombs posed a pervasive threat to
civilians
seeking safety across south Gaza.
In
response to questions about the bomb’s use in south Gaza, an Israeli occupation
spokesperson said in a statement to the Times that Israel’s priority was
destroying Hamas, and “questions of this kind will be looked into at a later
stage.” The spokesperson also said that the Israeli military “takes feasible
precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
But
US officials have said Israel should do more to reduce
civilian casualties while fighting Hamas. The Pentagon increased shipments to Israel of smaller
bombs that it considers better suited to urban environments such as Gaza.
Still, since October, the United States has also sent more than 5,000 MK-84
munitions — a type of 2,000-pound bomb.
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