Israel could have used smaller weapons against Hamas to avoid deaths at Gaza tent camp: experts
- Defence experts see evidence of US-made 250-pound GBU-39 small-diameter bombs used in strike that killed 45 civilians
- Israel is investigating Sunday’s air strike, says it used smallest munition its jets could carry to target Hamas compound
Defence experts who have reviewed debris images from an Israeli air strike that ignited a deadly fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians questioned why Israel did not use smaller, more precise weapons when so many civilians were nearby. They said the bombs used were likely US-made.
Israel is investigating the attack but says the Hamas targets were 1.7km (1 mile) away from a declared humanitarian zone and that its review before the strike determined no expected harm to civilians.
But displaced civilians were scattered throughout the area, and Israel had not ordered evacuations. So even if the tents that burned were not inside the marked humanitarian zone, the civilians there thought it was safe.
Israel, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has not said where the burned tents were in relation to the compound it bombed on Sunday, but has released one satellite image showing there were some known civilian shelters located about 180 metres (600 feet) away.