The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip has attracted worldwide attention in recent months. As the fighting continues, many questions arise about the methods and weapons used by the different sides. In particular, Israel’s use of high-yield bombs has been heavily criticized and has raised concerns about civilian casualties.
Analysis by CNN and artificial intelligence firm Synthetaic reveals that during the first month of the Gaza war, Israel dropped hundreds of massive bombs, many of which were capable of killing or injuring people more than 300 meters away distance. Satellite images show more than 500 impact craters larger than 40 feet in diameter, consistent with the 2,000-pound bombs. These bombs weigh four times as much as the largest bombs dropped by the United States during the war against the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq.
Weapons and warfare experts believe that the extensive use of heavy munitions, such as 2,000-pound bombs, is responsible for the growing number of casualties. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, which amplifies the consequences of the use of such munitions.
Using 2,000-pound bombs in an area as densely populated as Gaza means communities will take decades to recover,” said John Chappell, a member of CIVIC, a Washington-based group focused on harm reduction. to civilians in the event of conflict.
The international community is putting pressure on Israel due to the scale of destruction in Gaza, and even US President Joe Biden has accused Israel of “indiscriminate bombing” in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials say the use of heavy munitions is necessary to eliminate Hamas, responsible for more than 1,200 deaths and more than 240 hostage-takings. They also argue that Israel is doing everything possible to minimize civilian casualties.
Hamas relies on a vast network of tunnels crisscrossing the Gaza Strip. Supporters of the Israeli campaign in Gaza say the heavy munitions act as bunker busters and help destroy Hamas’ underground infrastructure.
But 2,000-pound bombs are generally used sparingly by Western militaries, due to their potential impact on densely populated areas such as Gaza. International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate bombing.
Marc Garlasco, a former US military intelligence analyst and former UN war crimes investigator, says the density of Israeli bombing during the first month in Gaza was “not seen since Vietnam”.
Garlasco, who is now a military advisor at PAX, a Dutch non-governmental organization that advocates for peace, reviewed all of the incidents analyzed in this report for CNN.
“You have to go back to the Vietnam War to make a comparison,” Garlasco said. “Even during the two wars in Iraq, it wasn’t this intense.”
Heavy munitions, mainly manufactured by the United States, can cause high-risk events and have a lethal fragmentation radius – an area of exposure to injury or death around the target – of up to 365 meters, or l the equivalent of 58 football fields.
According to authorities in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, around 20,000 people have been killed since October 7. Most of the victims are women and children.
The results of the analysis carried out by CNN and Synthetaic “reveal and highlight the sheer intensity of the bombing over a very short period of time”, according to Annie Shiel, director of US defense at CIVIC.
It is clear that the use of high-yield bombs in densely populated areas like Gaza has devastating consequences for the civilian population. As the conflict continues, it is essential that all parties exercise restraint and respect international humanitarian law to avoid further loss of innocent lives. The search for peaceful and lasting solutions remains the only way forward to put an end to this destructive violence.