Investigation Reveals US-made Weapon Deployed in Two Israeli Airstrikes Causing Civilian Casualties
Amnesty International claims a US-made weapon guidance system was used in two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in the death of 43 civilians The report is under review by the US government The aftermath depicts a scene of complete devastation
Amnesty International's investigation revealed that a US-made weapons guidance system was utilized in two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in October, resulting in the deaths of 43 civilians. Fragments of the US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions guidance system were discovered in the debris of demolished homes in the Deir al-Balah neighborhood of central Gaza, as reported by the human rights organization on Tuesday.
Israel utilizes a diverse range of American weaponry and ammunition, with Amnesty International's report marking one of the initial efforts to link an American-made weapon to a particular attack resulting in a high number of civilian casualties.
The JDAM is described by the US Air Force as a "guidance tail kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, adverse weather smart munitions."
CNN is unable to confirm the findings of Amnesty International on its own. According to Amnesty International, experts in weaponry and a "remote sensing analyst" analyzed satellite images and photographs of the homes, revealing fragments of ordnance recovered from the rubble and the resulting destruction. These photos were taken by Amnesty's fieldworkers.
The report claims that 19 children, 14 women, and 10 men were killed in the two attacks. According to the human rights organization, there were no military objectives at the sites of the airstrikes and the individuals living in the homes were not legitimate military targets.
"The report calls for the investigation of these air strikes as they were found to be either direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects, or indiscriminate attacks, and potentially classified as war crimes."
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The Israel Defense Forces slammed the report in a statement to CNN, calling it "flawed, biased and premature" and criticizing its "baseless assumptions" regarding the IDF's operations. They also argued that the report's assumption about the existence of intelligence regarding military use of a structure is contradictory and led to equally flawed and biased conclusions about the IDF.
The military expressed regret for any harm caused to civilians or civilian property during its operations and is committed to learning and improving from each operation. Amnesty International's report emphasized the use of American weapons in these strikes as an urgent wake-up call to the Biden administration.
"The US-made weapons facilitated the mass killings of extended families," said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty Internationals Secretary General, according to the report.
US reviewing report
On Wednesday, spokesperson Matt Miller stated that the US State Department is currently examining Amnesty International's report. He emphasized the importance of safeguarding civilians in the conflict and conveyed the expectation for Israel to adhere to the laws of armed conflict by only targeting legitimate targets.
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that they are also examining the report. "We will keep working closely with our Israeli counterparts to emphasize the need to prioritize civilian safety in their operations," stated Brigadier General Patrick Ryder to reporters.
Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II, as reported by the Congressional Research Service. The US provides Israel with an average of $3 billion in military aid per year, and the Biden administration has requested an additional $10.6 billion in military aid following the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel.
Israeli military tanks roll near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
Amnesty International reported the first attack at around 8:30 p.m. on October 10, which targeted the al-Najjar family home and resulted in the deaths of 21 of its members and three of their neighbors.
The bomb likely weighed approximately 2,000 pounds, as Amnesty claims, based on the extent of the damage to the home and surrounding buildings. Photos from the report show the year 2017 stamped into the plate, indicating that the bomb was manufactured in that year.
According to the US Air Force, "JDAM is a guided air-to-surface weapon that uses either the 2,000-pound BLU-109/MK 84, the 1,000-pound BLU-110/MK 83, or the 500-pound BLU-111/MK 82 warhead as the payload."
A scene of utter destruction
Suleiman Salman al-Najjar, who miraculously survived the attack, shared with Amnesty that he had been unwell and had just returned from the hospital to discover his home had been bombed and his family tragically killed. "I was in utter shock. I hurried back home only to be met with a devastating scene. I could not believe what I was seeing. Everyone was buried under the debris. The house had been completely flattened. The bodies were torn to pieces," he recounted.
Around midday on October 22, the second attack targeted three houses owned by three brothers in the Abu Mueileq family, resulting in the deaths of 18 family members, including 12 children, six women, and one of their neighbors. Bakir Abu Mueileq, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, shared with Amnesty that he tragically lost his wife and four of their children in the attack while he was working at the nearby hospital.
"We are three brothers married to three sisters, living together, prioritizing our families and careers, and distanced from political affairs. We are doctors and scientists," remarked Abu Mueileq. "We cannot comprehend why our homes were targeted and bombed. There are no armed individuals or political allegiances here. Our lives and families have been utterly devastated, erased. Why?"
Amnesty International has reported that the bomb that struck the Mu-eileq family's residences was approximately 1,000 pounds and was produced in 2018, as indicated by the stamped year on the plate in the photos.
Amnesty warned that the US could be held accountable for Israel's serious violations of international humanitarian law due to the use of US-supplied weapons. The organization is calling for the US government and others to cease arms transfers to Israel that are likely to lead to violations of international law.
"A state that continues to supply arms being used to commit violations may share responsibility for these violations," Amnesty said.
