The package from United States military aid The bombs delivered to Israel include more than 1,800 907-kilo Mark 84 bombs (or MK84 bombs) and about 500 Mark 82 bombs (or MK82) of 227 kilos. The Mark 84 bombs and 82 are not guided by precision systems. However, as NBC News reports, the United States has in the past equipped its Israeli partner with the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) system, which makes this possible Convert a traditional pump into a precision pump.
According to NBC News, these large bombs often cause harm to civilians and are believed to have been used by Israel in the Gaza Strip. The Washington Post revealed this for its part Israel used them in the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp on October 31, 2023. Dozens of civilians were killed.
The unguided or “dumb” bomb MK84 leaves 12 meter large craters in the earth Because of the risk of civilian casualties, they are almost never used by Western armies in densely populated places, the Washington Post reported.
The White House has defended sending more than 2,000 such bombs to Israel amid bilateral tensions after a bombing killed seven workers at the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip. “Except for the two months immediately following the attack, in reality We have not sent emergency aid or military aid to Israel“White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a press conference.
In this sense, he assured that many of the sales “are not related to this conflict,” including the MK84 bombs. Kirby also added that “much of this material” had already been reported to the US Congress “many, many months, if not years ago.” “They face active threats throughout the region, including Iran, and the United States remains committed to supporting Israel in its self-defense,” he stressed.
His words came after several American media outlets reported this Thursday on the transfer of arms to Israel amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip More than 32,900 people have died, according to authorities in the Gaza Strip. In addition, the Biden administration has also approved the delivery of 25 F-35A aircraft to Israel.
The approval came despite pressure on the White House to stop these transfers in light of Israel’s offensive against Israel Gaza Strip. According to The Washington Post, which first reported the news, the new bomb transfer was approved on Monday, but before the Israeli attack on the WCK convoy.
Since the conflict began, Washington has sent thousands of pieces of military equipment to Tel Aviv, including ammunition, vehicles, weapons, personal protective equipment and medical supplies. In particular, the Wall Street Journal revealed that the Pentagon had sent 230 cargo planes and 20 ships loaded with weapons and military equipment to Israel. According to this media, the ammunition delivered consisted of more than 5,400 MK84 bombs and 5,000 unguided MK82 bombs. He also shared details of 1,000 GBU-39 small diameter bombs and about 3,000 common direct attack munitions.
The White House was criticized for this continued military support for the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu for its offensive in Gaza, particularly from human rights organizations, the Arab and Muslim communities in the United States, and some lawmakers and administration officials.
The aforementioned US official explained that the new bombs correspond to a military package previously approved by Congress and will not be delivered to Israel until the end of this year or next.
