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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Israel used 230 kg bomb in Gaza café strike killing 24; experts say may constitute war crime
The use of heavy munition in an area known to be filled with unprotected civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, was likely unlawful and could amount to a war crime, according to report, citing experts read more Palestinians check an area of a cafe that was damaged in an Israeli strike in Gaza City on Monday. AP The Israeli military used a 500lb (230kg) bomb, a powerful and wide-impact weapon, in a strike on a crowded beachfront café in Gaza on Monday, according to The Guardian report, citing evidence reviewed by news outlet. The use of such munition in an area known to be filled with unprotected civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, was likely unlawful and could amount to a war crime, added the report, citing international law experts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to the report, ordnance experts have identified weapon fragments found in the ruins of al-Baqa café as parts of a US-made MK-82 general-purpose 230kg bomb, commonly used in airstrikes over recent decades. The large crater at the scene further supports the use of a powerful bomb like the MK-82, added the report, citing two ordnance specialists. An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson said the strike is under review, adding that 'steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance' prior to the attack. The cafe strike killed 24 to 36 Palestinians, with dozens injured, according to medical and other officials. The dead included a prominent filmmaker, an artist, a 35-year-old housewife, and a four-year-old child. Among the wounded were a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. Under international law, attacks causing civilian deaths must not be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage. While interpretation varies, experts say only a target of major strategic value could justify such high civilian casualties, reported The Guardian. The café had two levels — an open upper deck and a lower floor with large beach-facing windows — and was in a location clearly visible from the air. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The Israeli military hasn't said exactly whom it was targeting but it said it used aerial surveillance to minimise civilian casualties, which means it knew the cafe was teeming with customers at the time," The Guardian quoted Gerry Simpson, of Human Rights Watch, as saying. 'The military would also have known that using a large guided air-dropped bomb would kill and maim many of the civilians there. The use of such a large weapon in an obviously crowded cafe risks that this was an unlawful disproportionate or indiscriminate attack and should be investigated as a war crime,' Simpson added. Dr Andrew Forde, an assistant professor of human rights law at Dublin City University, said the strike was shocking. 'When you see a situation where there are heavy munitions being used, particularly [in a] crowded civilian space, even with the best targeting in the world … that will necessarily create an indiscriminate outcome that is not in compliance with … the Geneva conventions,' he told The Guardian. Founded nearly 40 years ago, the family-run al-Baqa café was a popular spot for young people and families in Gaza City. Despite widespread malnutrition and looming famine in Gaza, some residents with savings or salaries still frequent the few cafés that remain open. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Al-Baqa was located in Gaza's port area, which was not covered by any Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the strike. Israel has access to a wide range of munitions and has often used smaller, precision-guided weapons in targeted strikes across Gaza, Lebanon, and more recently Iran. In a prior statement, the IDF said that even the most sophisticated measures employed to assess civilian harm were hardly ever perfect and that its choice of munitions was 'a professional matter contingent on the nature of the strike's objective'. 'While some targets are suitable for smaller payloads, others may require heavier munitions to achieve mission success – for example, when intending to destroy structures that are built with certain hard materials, large structures, or underground tunnel,' the statement read. On Tuesday, an Israeli government spokesperson said the IDF 'never, ever targets civilians.' Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields — a claim Hamas denies. With inputs from agencies STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Investigation: Israel Dropped US-Made 500lb Bomb on Gaza Beach Café, Killing Dozens
DayofPal– The bomb Israel used in an attack on the beachside café of Al-Baqa some days ago weighed 500 lb (230kg) and was manufactured by the U.S. with the type MK-82, a general-purpose bomb known for its wide blast radius and destructive capability, an investigation by The Guardian reveals. The Israeli airstrike on a crowded beachside café in Gaza City killed at least 24 Palestinians and injured dozens more, including children, in what human rights experts are calling a potential war crime. The strike, which took place on Monday, leveled the Al-Baqa Café, a popular two-storey venue frequented by families and young people along Gaza's beachfront. Among the dead were children, a prominent filmmaker, a journalist, and a well-known artist. Survivors, many of them severely wounded, were pulled from the rubble in scenes of chaos and grief. Ordnance experts consulted by The Guardian identified remnants of the bomb as belonging to the MK-82 series, or potentially the MPR500, both of which are powerful, air-dropped munitions widely used by the U.S. military. The impact left a massive crater and destroyed much of the surrounding area. Despite claims by the Israeli military that it had taken steps to minimize civilian harm through aerial surveillance, experts and rights groups say the evidence points to a deliberate attack on a known civilian area. 'The military would have known the café was full,' said Gerry Simpson, associate crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch. 'This should be investigated as a war crime.' Legal experts echoed that assessment, highlighting the use of such heavy munitions in a densely populated civilian zone. 'Even with the best targeting in the world, using heavy munitions in such a space leads to indiscriminate outcomes. This violates international law,' said Dr. Andrew Forde, a human rights law expert at Dublin City University. The café was not in an evacuation zone, and satellite imagery suggests it had clear visibility from above, further raising questions about the Israeli army's claim that the strike targeted militants or military assets. Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosives expert, confirmed that fragments recovered from the site matched components of MK-82 or MPR500 bombs, underscoring the destructive power of the ordnance used. The strike comes amid growing international concern over the scale and intensity of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. According to Reuters, the United States supplied Israel with vast quantities of advanced weaponry during the first year of the war, including at least 14,000 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, and more than 2,600 small-diameter air-dropped munitions. In 2024, the Biden administration agreed to resume the delivery of 500-pound bombs to Israel, despite mounting allegations of war crimes and accusations of genocide. Legal and humanitarian organizations are calling for independent investigations into attacks on civilian sites and for an immediate halt to arms transfers fueling the war. Shortlink for this post:
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Israel's Use Of 230 Kg US Bomb To Attack Gaza Cafe Is War Crime: Report
Jerusalem: The Israeli military reportedly used a US-made 500lb (230kg) bomb to hit a popular seafront cafe frequented by activists, journalists, and local residents in western Gaza City on Monday. On the examination of the ruins Al-Baqa cafe, it was found that Israel used an MK-82 general-purpose 230kg bomb to attack unprotected civilians, including children, women and elderly people. Experts believe the use of the powerful and indiscriminate weapon-- that generates a massive blast wave and scatters shrapnel over a wide area-- on civilians was almost certainly unlawful and may constitute a war crime, according to a report by The Guardian. The International Humanitarian Law under the Geneva Conventions forbids military forces from launching attacks that cause "incidental loss of civilian life" that is "excessive or disproportionate to the anticipated military advantage." At least 24 people-- including prominent war reporter and Palestinian filmmaker Ismail Abu Hatab, a 35-year-old housewife and a four-year-old child--were killed in the attack on the once bustling seafront spot. Among the injured were a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. The port area where the two-storey cafe was located was not covered by any of the evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) before the impending military operations. IDF said the strike on the cafe was under review and that "prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance". What Experts Said What is considered acceptable in wars is open to interpretation. However, experts said that only a target whose elimination might have a very significant impact on the course of a conflict could justify the death of dozens of civilians. Gerry Simpson, of Human Rights Watch, told The Guardian that the Israeli military did not specify exactly whom it was targeting, but it said it used aerial surveillance to minimise civilian casualties, "which means it knew the cafe was teeming with customers at the time." "The military would also have known that using a large guided air-dropped bomb would kill and maim many of the civilians there. The use of such a large weapon in an obviously crowded cafe risks that this was an unlawful, disproportionate or indiscriminate attack and should be investigated as a war crime," he noted. Marc Schack, an associate professor of international law at the University of Copenhagen, noted that it is almost impossible to "justify" the use of that kind of munition on a civilian target. "If you are talking about 20, 30, 40 or more civilian casualties, usually that would have to be a target of very great importance ... For coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, the accepted number for a very high-level target was less than 30 civilians getting killed, and only then in exceptional circumstances," he told the British publication. According to Andrew Forde, assistant professor of human rights law at Dublin City University, the use of heavy munitions in crowded civilian space, "even with the best targeting in the world ... that will necessarily create an indiscriminate outcome that is not in compliance with ... the Geneva conventions." About Al-Baqa cafe Al-Baqa cafe had so far survived more than 20 months of war and intense bombings on the Palestinian territory, and had become a gathering spot for those not displaced by the conflict. A few weeks ago, the cafe was once again able to offer an internet connection, attracting its pre-war clientele back. With food only trickling into Gaza, the kitchens were closed, but customers could still get a cup of tea to drink against a backdrop of destruction. "There's always a lot of people at that spot, which offers drinks, spaces for families, and internet access," said Ahmad al-Nayrab, 26, who was walking on the nearby beach when he heard a loud explosion. "It was a massacre," he told the news agency AFP. Maher al-Baqa, who co-owns the establishment, told AFP that it is "one of the most well-known cafes on the Gaza coast, frequented by educated youth, journalists, artists, doctors, engineers and hardworking people". "Young people are fleeing the tragedies and difficult conditions in Gaza. They come here for work meetings or just to relax a little."
