By now everyone has had his say about the Israel airstrike in Rafah that killed two senior Hamas commanders, and the subsequent tent fire that caused the deaths of 45 Gazan civilians. Most of the coverage has been devoted to berating not Hamas for storing weapons in civilian areas where they could — and did — explode, sending shrapnel into a tent 300 feet away, that then burst into flame but, rather, Israel for not using smaller munitions. More on the “experts” who claim the IDF ought to have used smaller explosives can be found here: “Israel could have used smaller weapons against Hamas to avoid deaths in Gaza tent fire, experts say,” by Tara Copp and Josef Federman, Associated Press, May 30, 2024:
…Even the smallest jet-launched munition may be too big when civilians are near because of how they explode and can send fragments far, defense experts said.
Based on images and satellite photos of the debris field, two defense experts said the bombs used were likely U.S.-made 250-pound (113-kilogram) GBU-39 small-diameter bombs.
Though they’re smaller than many other weapons the U.S. has provided to Israel, these bombs can still create a wide swath of damage The entire 250-pound shell and components are designed to spew fragments that can travel as far as 2,000 feet (600 meters).
The “expert” who says that the 250-pound bombs spew fragments “designed to travel as far as 2,000 feet” is simply wrong. Its blast radius is not 2,000, but 26 feet.
“You essentially have two bombs they use that the fragments can travel 600 meters in a densely packed area. So that just doesn’t check out if they’re trying to limit casualties,” said Trevor Ball, a former Army explosive ordnance demolition technician.
Elder of Ziyon weighs in here: “Could Israel have used a smaller bomb to kill two major Hamas leaders? Of course not.” Elder of Ziyon, May 31, 2024:
The GBU-39 is known as the SDB – Small Diameter Bomb. As far as I can tell, it is the smallest bomb available for deployment by fighter jets. It was designed specifically to minimize collateral damage. It carries only 17 kilograms of explosives….
Israel has no bomb available for use by fighter jets smaller than the one it used — the bomb that was specifically intended to minimize collateral damage.
From everything we know, the civilians nearby were not killed by debris from the bomb but from the fire that was ignited by secondary explosions of Hamas munitions. The people were killed by a fire ignited by Hamas explosives, not Israeli bombs! This is not even mentioned in the AP article. Anticipating such a result is the domain of psychics. The actual facts of the incident destroy the entire premise of the article. After all, even a single bullet could have accidentally set off Hamas explosives, too.
Beyond that, the entire article is written with the implication that if there were a couple of civilians “scattered” nearby then Israel should not have shot the Hamas leaders at all. Yet under international law, if the value of the target is high enough, the attackers are absolutely allowed to target it even with civilian casualties. AP and the “experts” are demanding a standard for Israel than no army in history has ever achieved, and that no army in history has ever been expected to achieve.
To write an entire article like this applying double standards to only Israel is not analysis – it is antisemitic libel.
A libel now convincingly refuted by the tireless Elder of Ziyon, who deserves our collective gratitude for setting this, and so many other records, straight.
Ben says
Since everything Israel does is criticized by the brain dead Israel hater i say that Israel should have dropped the biggest bombs they have. Let the haters choke on that.
maria says
agree
Phillip says
The bigger the bombs used by Israel the better
OLD GUY says
You’re right if you’re going to get criticized anyway you might as well hit them hard and get it overwith. It will be forgotten with in the next new cycle anyway.
Shalom says
Spot on.
Kagman says
Why is this even an issue. THERE ARE NO INNOCENT GAZANS… To be sure, those living there identify not as Gazan, or Arab.. THEY IDENTIFY AS MUSLIMS…. And this is not an attack against Israelis… This is an attack by islam against Judaism…
And for that reason, they’ve gotten what they’ve deserved
somehistory says
Let us ask another question…with some follow-up Could the ghouls of hamas have started this by murdering only soldiers and other adults in Israel.? Could they have started it without raping young children, women, and even men? Without mutilating their victims and playing with body parts? Could they without taking hostages and torturing them to death? Could they have started it without burning babies alive?
Could hamas have refrained from starting this war?
If they could, why is no one asking them why they didn’t refrain? Why is the focus on every thing Israel does to eliminate the threat of the same things….murder, rape, torture, kidnapping…happening again by hamas?
I already know the answer, in case anyone may think otherwise. But the blame for the deaths of many people should be laid at the door of the rabid mozlums…hamas, and its funders/backers/trainers: the iranians.
Ray Jarman says
To add to your intelligent rebuttal to the AP, the gibberish about civilians being killed accidently by the IDF using a weapon that will cause the least collateral damage seem to forget that the majority of the savages that slaughtered most of the innocent men, women, children and even babies in front of their parents were technically civilians. It was not a military action by definition.
Also where is the outrage about the bombs and rockets being fired into Israel’s northern sector from Hezbollah and other Iranian terrorist factions from Lebanon? Their intent is to destroy innocent Jewish civilian citizens pure and simple. Israel has not completely eradicated the missiles in Gaza. Does Obumer’s puppet in the White House and European dimwits expect Israel to just take it and die?
carpediadem says
Yes.
That said, as someone pointed out to me, he HAS actually supplied Israel with weapons, despite his rhetoric.
somehistory says
Thank you, Ray. You added some very important points.
It seems they don’t wish Israel to defend herself, while they allow the terrorists…hamas, hezbollah, iran, the houthis, etc…..to do whatever they wish without any condemnation of the tactics or weapons used.
ed says
What ever it takes
Sc says
Experts who arent part of the action are usually political puppets. Like polititicians they and their opinions are bought and paid for. IMHO the palestinians were warned. Those that stayed are clearly willing to die supporting the terrorists. They probably will because Israel should never back down.
STJOHNOFGRAFTON says
If the IDF offered to use blank ammo would that appease asymetric public opinion?
Reziac says
Correct answer: Any munitions that leave one stone atop another, or fail to turn Gaza into a sheet of glass, are too small.
They brought this on themselves. So they die of their own perfidy. And the world is a better place.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
It’s like having a boxing match in someone’s living room. Occupants are bound to get hurt and furniture will go flying in all directions.. The only question is who initiated the fight. But again, the media will employ the most extreme contorted logic to argue their point.