Why Biden is holding back heavy bombs from Israel

Heavy bombs, which President Biden has refrained from sending to Israel, are a key issue in the Gaza war, as they are a key means of Israel’s destruction of the territory.

Biden suspended shipments of about 3,500 bombs, including heavy 2,000-pound bombs and lighter 500-pound bombs. Both were used to devastating effect in the Gaza Strip, reducing the area to rubble.

Israel claims the bombs are essential to eliminating Hamas targets, but the Biden administration has drawn the line on their use in a major attack on Rafah, the densely populated southern city of Gaza.

Human rights groups have argued in recent months that U.S. bombing in Gaza has caused heavy civilian casualties and pointed to examples of indiscriminate attacks by Israel, and some Democrats have argued that Mr. They argue that the grant should have been stopped sooner.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said, “For months, I have urged the Biden administration that Israel is not an offensive weapon that could cause tremendous suffering to Gaza and further escalate tensions across the region.” “I have strongly urged the United States to prioritize its defense needs.” Last week’s statement.

Stephen Miles, president of the progressive advocacy group Victory Without War, said 2,000-pound bombs have a “dramatic effect” when dropped in densely populated areas, and that Israel’s use of them would “kill innocent people.” He said he was “deliberately taking actions” that led to the death of a person.

“Using these bombs in the Gaza Strip will not cause large-scale damage,” he said. “The ammunition is designed to maximize depth of destruction. It is not designed for use in dense communities in dense urban environments.”

Even before the Gaza war, the United States was scheduled to give Israel about $3 billion a year until 2028. That amount is now much higher after Congress approved billions of dollars more in aid last month following Biden’s request for support in Israel’s fight to annihilate the Palestinian militant group Hamas. It is supposed to be surpassed.

Over 100 US foreign military sales records Recognized by Israel since October 7thwhen Hamas invaded southern Israel, about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 more were taken hostage.

That military aid includes artillery shells, air defense ammunition and bombs, as well as fighter jets and small arms that Israel has used against Hamas, the Lebanese military and political group Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East.

The standard conventional bomb in the United States is the Mark 80 series, ranging from the Mark 81, which weighs 250 pounds, to the Mark 84, which weighs 2,000 pounds. They are dropped from aircraft onto targets.

Israel uses the bombs as part of its strategy to defeat Hamas, which uses tunnels and hidden networks across Gaza to hide troops, weapons and equipment.

Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, said that instead of dropping bombs, Israel chose to station troops in sensitive areas, including hospitals. However, in difficult situations, such as deep underground sites, it is more effective to deploy heavier bombs.

“There is [some] “It is an area where the use of those bombs is more efficient and more justified, at least from a military perspective, to neutralize those targets,” he said.

But heavier bombs generally cause more shock and more destruction when they hit the ground, so their use has increased the human toll in Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have been killed in the seven-month war. This is one of the reasons why.

Biden said in a CNN interview earlier this week that he would not provide offensive weapons to Israel if troops moved into Rafah, where more than 1 million civilians have fled the war, along with a Hamas battalion.

“Civilians are being killed in Gaza as a result of bombs and other attacks on populated areas,” Biden told CNN earlier this week.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that the United States is considering a 2,000-pound bomb in connection with Rafa.

“We are focused on the end use, particularly the end use of a 2,000-pound bomb and the impact it can have on a dense urban environment, as we have seen in other parts of Gaza. “We are keeping it there,” he said Thursday. . “That’s something we’ll continue to look at.”

The withholding of bombs and the threat of further weapons suspensions have angered Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting alone if necessary.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told CNN this week that while bombs can “occasionally” cause collateral damage, he insisted that is true in all wars, and that Hamas used human shields in Gaza. accused of using it.

“Is Israel using bombs to target civilians? Absolutely not. Never. We never target civilians,” he said. “In fact, we have the lowest rate of collateral damage in the history of urban warfare. I’d say about 32,000 Palestinians died. Half of them were terrorists. It’s one to one.”

“In Afghanistan, in Iraq, it was one to nine. For every terrorist you killed, there were six, seven, eight, nine civilians,” he added. “We’re bending over backwards to prevent unnecessary deaths. Otherwise, he’ll be all done in three days if we don’t bother.”

Hamas-run health agencies do not distinguish between civilians and militants in casualties, and some observers give much lower estimates of the proportion of total deaths among fighters. .

Human rights groups and media reports point to several instances in which U.S. bombs have been misused in Gaza.

Although international humanitarian law does not prohibit the use of heavy bombs in war, belligerent parties We must prevent indiscriminate attacks and a duty to take practicable precautions to prevent civilian deaths.

CNN reported in december Hundreds of 2,000-pound bombs were used during the first month of the war, creating about 500 different craters 40 feet in diameter. In at least one incident, a major airstrike on Jabalia refugee camp in late October killed more than 100 people.

and the new york times It was also reported in December A 2,000-pound bomb was dropped on an area in southern Gaza where civilians had been told to evacuate for safety.

amnesty international identified several strikes It claimed to be illegal and involved a US bomb.

Amnesty International USA’s national director of government relations, Amanda Klasing, said some of the 2,000-pound bombs had “wiped out whole families” and that the bombs were “so large” that collateral damage would be minimized. said it is difficult.

“There is no clear indication that they actually want to apply international law to the use of these weapons,” he said of the Israeli military. “The risk of these weapons being transferred to the Israeli government remains high.”

Amnesty International also expressed concern that Israel has issued 24-hour mass evacuation notices and limited advance notice before airstrikes.

To reduce casualties, 2,000-pound or 500-pound “dumb” bombs can also be fitted with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits that convert unguided munitions into “smart” precision-guided bombs.

Krasing said JDAMs and small bombs still pose a high risk if not used properly.

“The ability to increase precision needs to be combined with an intention to comply with international humanitarian law,” she says. Similarly, “simply changing the size of these weapons without changing the pattern of how they are deployed does not actually comply with international humanitarian law.”

A State Department investigation released Friday found it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel violated international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip, but the investigation found no specific violations. However, no definitive finding of wrongdoing was reached.

Israel and its allies often respond to criticism of the Gaza Strip’s death toll by pointing to the tactics of Hamas, which operates from areas heavily populated with civilians.

Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, said Hamas often “deliberately” operates in open areas because its fighters know that “collateral damage is inevitable in that way.” He said there was.

“Israel is defending itself and basically working to eliminate a threat in a very difficult environment,” he said. “It’s a large urban environment where the enemy is using their own countrymen, literally their own countrymen,” as human shields. ”

The discussions come ahead of a possible invasion of Rafah, where Israeli forces have already moved in for limited operations and taken control of a key border crossing with Egypt.

Gaza is a densely populated area, but with around 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, the city could face unprecedented destruction in the event of a major Israeli operation. said Miles of Win Without War.

“You’re concerned about Rafa because it’s as scary as anything we’ve seen before. [of potential large fighting] “We have a situation that is almost unimaginably bad,” he said.

“That’s why it was heartening to see the president finally take some action. But I think it’s far from over.”