12/22/2023 5:47 p.m
During the first six weeks of the Gaza war, Israel routinely used one of its largest and most destructive bombs in areas it deemed safe for civilians, according to an analysis of evidence published by The New York Times.
The video investigation focuses on the use of nearly 1ton bombs in an area of the southern Gaza Strip where Israel had ordered civilians moved for security reasons. Although bombs of this size are used by several Western militaries, U.S. forces almost never drop them in densely populated areas anymore, according to munitions experts.
The Times programmed an artificial intelligence tool to search satellite images of the southern Gaza Strip for bomb craters. Times reporters manually reviewed the survey results, looking for craters about 40 feet or larger in diameter. Munitions experts say that normally only oneton bombs leave craters this size in Gaza's light, sandy soil.
Ultimately, the survey identified 208 craters in satellite images and drone footage. Due to limited satellite imagery and the variable impact of a bomb, it is likely that there were many cases that were not recorded. However, the findings show that nearly oneton bombs posed a widespread threat to civilians seeking shelter in the southern Gaza Strip.
Responding to questions about the use of the bomb in southern Gaza, an Israeli military spokesman said in a statement to the NY Times that Israel's priority is to destroy Hamas and that “issues of this nature will be analyzed at a later date.” The spokesman also said that Israeli security forces are “taking feasible precautions to limit harm to civilians.”
But U.S. officials said Israel should do more in the fight against Hamas to reduce civilian casualties. The Pentagon has increased deliveries to Israel of smaller bombs that it says are better suited to urban environments like Gaza. But since October, the US has also shipped more than 5,000 MK84 ammunition a type of bomb weighing about a ton.
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