45pc of Israeli air-to-ground munitions in Gaza are 'dumb bombs', reveals report

In the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, a recent US intelligence assessment reportedly disclosedthat nearly 45 per centof the air-to-ground munitions utilised by Israel in Gaza since October 7 are unguided,referred to as "dumb bombs".

This revelation follows reports suggesting that a senior Israeli intelligence officer stressed the goal of "killing as many Hamas operatives as possible," without a strict mandate to avoid Palestinian injuries, indicating a flexible approach.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence compiled the assessment, reportedly revealing that out of the 29,000 air-to-ground munitions used, 40-45 per cent were unguided, contrasting with precision-guided munitions.

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This report also coincides with US President Joe Biden urging Israel to exercise caution and minimise civilian casualties in Gaza instead of the indiscriminate bombardment on the besieged territory.

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Unguided munitions, also known as free-fall bombs, lack guidance systems to actively adjust their trajectory, posing a greater threat to civilians in densely populated areas like Gaza. A CNN report suggestedthat the high use of unguided munitions may contribute to the escalating civilian death toll, a worrying development for the international community.

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In response to the report, IDF spokesperson Nir Dinar reportedly declined to comment on the type of munitions used.

Major Keren Hajioff, an Israeli spokesperson, stressedthe commitment to international law and minimising harm to civilians forced into the role of human shields by Hamas.

However, experts, including Brian Castner from Amnesty International, reportedly expressed concerns, questioning Israel's claim of minimising civilian casualties if unguided munitions are being used extensively.

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“I’m extremely surprised and concerned,” said Castner. “It’s bad enough to be using the weapons when they are precisely hitting their targets. It is a massive civilian harm problem if they do not have that accuracy, and if you can’t even give a benefit of the doubt that that the weapon is actually landing where the Israeli forces intended to.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.