U.S. supplies ‘bunker buster’ bombs to Israel for Gaza conflict

In a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, it has been revealed that the United States has delivered ‘bunker buster’ bombs and various munitions to Israel to support its military campaign in Gaza. The transfer includes 100 BLU-109 bombs designed to penetrate hardened structures, with each carrying a warhead exceeding 900 kilograms.

These bombs, previously used by the U.S. in conflicts such as Afghanistan, are part of a broader arms package sent to Israel. The arsenal provided since the conflict’s onset reportedly comprises 15,000 bombs, 57,000 155mm artillery shells, 5,000 unguided Mk82 bombs, 5,400 Mk84 bombs, around 1,000 GBU-39 small-diameter bombs, and approximately 3,000 JDAMs, which are guidance kits converting unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions.

Despite international condemnation of Israeli military operations in Gaza, the Pentagon has maintained relative silence on its level of support. This contrasts with regular updates on the conflict in Ukraine. The U.S. has also sent these munitions via C-17 military cargo planes.

The report highlights the significant use of these U.S.-supplied bombs in some of the deadliest Israeli attacks on Gaza, including the strike on an apartment block in the Jabalia refugee camp. Israel argued that the attack, which killed over 100 people, was justified as it targeted a Hamas leader.

Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro notes that the revelation has sparked questions in Congress about the appropriateness of providing such munitions, especially considering their use in densely populated civilian areas. There are growing concerns about transparency and the potential impact on civilian casualties.

The U.S. has fully supported Israel’s military efforts despite mounting international pressure for a complete ceasefire. While Washington claims to have urged Israel to limit civilian casualties, the conflict has seen a resumption of intense aerial bombing of Gaza, resulting in numerous casualties within hours of the truce’s end.