Gaza: Israel Hit Jabalia Refugee Camp with 2,000-Pound Bombs: NYT Analysis

Mon Nov 06 2023
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NEW YORK: The Israeli airstrike targeting the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday involved bombs that weighed at least 2,000 pounds — the second-largest in its arsenal, according to a New York Times report.

Though Israel has employed these bombs before, their use in such a densely populated area has raised human rights concerns, the newspaper said in an analysis.

The Times pointed out that two impact craters, each measuring about 40 feet wide, are consistent with the effects expected from underground explosions in light, sandy soil, as described in a 2016 technical study by Armament Research Services.

Garlasco, who serves as a military adviser for the Dutch organization PAX, suggested that the bombs might have been equipped with a “delay fuse,” which postpones detonation until milliseconds after penetrating the surface or a building, allowing for a more extensive destructive effect.

READ ALSO: Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes Despite Ceasefire Calls

Garlasco, who works as a military adviser for the Dutch organization PAX, stated it was unclear from visuals alone whether the bombs were equipped with bunker-busting warheads, which are designed to penetrate through reinforced military structures.

Israel has killed over 9,488 Palestinians in Gaza, including nearly 3,900 children and 2,500 women, and wounded more than 24,000. Palestinian Ministry of Health reports and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are children and women.

Despite a significant Israeli military buildup around the borders of Gaza and sporadic infiltrations on the outskirts of the besieged territory, Palestinian Resistance continues to withstand Israeli attacks. —APP

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