Bombs used in Israeli attacks on Gaza beach cafe are 230 kilogram MK-82s
Fragments identified by ordnance experts - as well as the huge crater left following the strike - show that the parts were that of the US-made MK-82 general purpose 230kg bomb. The incident killed at least 33 Palestinians including an internationally renowned male photographer, a female visual artist, a female boxer, and a one-year-old child.
Experts say the use of such munition on civilians may constitute a war crime, the report said.
Meanwhile, the US state department approved the sale of the same bombs to Israel the same day as the attack on the cafe. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement, "The Government of Israel has requested to buy three thousand eight hundred forty-five (3,845) KMU-558B/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for the BLU-109 bomb body and three thousand two hundred eighty (3,280) KMU-572 F/B JDAM guidance kits for the MK 82 bomb body.
"The US is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defence capability," it added.
DSCA said the principal contractor would be the Boeing company, located in St. Charles, Missouri.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel has a Hamas 'hit-list.' Could it assassinate officials in Qatar?
Israel is stepping up its threats to target Hamas leaders abroad just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week. The threats - and Netanyahu's visit - are sparking speculation that Israel could look to target senior Hamas officials in Gaza, Algeria, Lebanon, and potentially Qatar as the US presses for a new truce in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened last month to assassinate senior Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya, who is based in Doha, Qatar. He also said Israel would target the Gaza-based Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the commander of Hamas's military wing. The Israeli news site Maariv reported in June that Israel had a Hamas "hit list", which included Hayya, Osama Hamdan, a former Hamas spokesman in Lebanon, and Sami Abu Zahri, the group's representative in Algeria. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Hamas's military and political wings are structured as distinct entities. The group's political leadership has primarily been based in Doha as per a 2011 request from former US President Barack Obama. Hamas also had an office in Cairo, Egypt, although it is unclear whether that office is still functioning following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. Its political officials are also known to spend time in Turkey, but it is also unclear whether they have an official office there. On Thursday, the Times newspaper reported that Qatari officials had instructed Hamas officials, including Hayya, to hand over their personal weapons. Other senior officials ordered to turn over their weapons were Muhammad Ismail Darwish, the head of Hamas's Shura Council, and Hamas political bureau member Zaher Jabareen. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the reports. Qatar: A key US ally If Israel were to follow through with Katz's plan to kill Hayya in Qatar, it could present a major escalation in Israel's campaign against Hamas members. Until recently, Israel mainly targeted Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, Iran, and Lebanon. Following the start of the war on Gaza, one of Israel's first strikes abroad was the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, a senior leader of Hamas and a founding commander of the al-Qassam Brigades' military wing in Beirut. However, attacking Hamas members in Qatar, a key US ally in the region, which is also home to al-Udeid, the regional headquarters for US Central Command, could also present major challenges. Al-Udeid was targeted by Iran late last month in response to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israel's sneak attack on the Islamic Republic. US and Iranian officials indirectly coordinated before the strike, with Qatar acting as an intermediary, MEE revealed. The US moved aircraft and heavy equipment from Qatar's al-Udeid base to stations in Saudi Arabia. Over the course of the war, Qatar, along with Egypt, have emerged as key mediators for the US. Despite this, the Trump administration broke with decades of precedent earlier this year and negotiated directly with Hamas, proscribed as a terror group by Washington, to release a dual US-Israeli national. Hamas was based in Damascus, Syria, until 2012, when it fell out with the Syrian government over the country's civil war. Qatar agreed to host the exiled leadership at the request of the US to maintain an indirect line of communication with the group, Qatari officials say. The long arm of Israeli assassinations Netanyahu has a history of ordering strikes when he is in the United States, appearing to relish the powerful symbolism of Israel's long military arm. Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, just after Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu's office was quick to release a picture of him huddled with aides ordering the strike from a drab office in New York City. Former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran a week after Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the US Congress in July 2024. And since the war erupted, Israel has killed dozens of senior Hamas officials inside the Gaza Strip. Hamas's military commanders are high-value targets. Israel said it killed Muhammad Sinwar, Haddad's predecessor, in May. Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad's brother, was one of the most high-value Israeli targets following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel assassinated dozens of Yayha Sinwar's subordinates and searched for more than one year to locate Yahya. The US provided intelligence in a bid to track Yahya. In the end, he was killed in in October 2024 in a firefight in the southern Gaza City of Rafah when Israeli soldiers accidentally stumbled upon him and colleagues. 'Major hurdles' still remain If Israel does move to assassinate Hamas officials, it will come amid a new push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Trump said this week that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas is weighing whether to accept the proposal. However, Israel's Channel 14 reported on Wednesday that the proposal includes a "secret side letter" from the US giving Israel permission to restart the war. It's unclear whether Israel would need written approval, as a ceasefire was reached in January 2025 but imploded in March when Israel unilaterally resumed attacking Gaza. Meanwhile, speaking to The Times of Israel, two Arab diplomats said that "major hurdles" remain unresolved regarding the ceasefire, particularly around the recently established US-Israeli aid distribution system operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Hamas has demanded a return to the previous United Nations-run aid delivery mechanism. The controversial GHF, which began operations in late May after a three-month complete blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, has been sharply criticised. More than 580 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,200 wounded by Israeli troops while attempting to access food and aid supplies. Hamas's concerns have been echoed by international organisations. On Tuesday, over 170 NGOs jointly called for an end to what they described as the 'deadly' US- and Israeli-backed GHF system, urging a return to United Nations-led aid coordination. Over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war.
Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
UK High Court rejects bid to halt Palestine Action terror list ban
The High Court in London has rejected an attempt to temporarily block the UK government's move to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, following an appeal by the group's co-founder. Lawyers representing Huda Ammori, co-founder of the pro-Palestinian direct action group, appeared before the court on Friday to challenge the decision by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to proscribe the group under terrorism laws. But after the hearing. judge Mr Justice Chamberlain said: "I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order of force. 'In reaching this decision I have borne in mind my assessment of the merits of the claim at this early stage.' The ban is scheduled to take effect this weekend. A further hearing is scheduled for 21 July when thr group is expected to apply for a judicial review to overturn the ban. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Palestine Action, known for targeting companies involved in the Israeli arms trade, has denied any links to terrorism and described the government's move as politically motivated. During the hearing, lawyers for Ammori criticised the government's assessment, highlighting that plans to proscribe the group had been in place as early as March, well before last month's incident claimed by the group at RAF Brize Norton where two military planes were sprayed with red paint. "Why move to proscribe before then? They put their bodies on the line between the genocide and violations of international law and the munitions and airplanes," said Blinne Nessa Aine Ni Ghralaigh, one of Ammori's legal representatives. "The context for why the Home Secretary has proscribed Palestine Action is materially relevant - and that is the situation in Gaza. It is an annihilation, it is a genocide, according to rights groups, leading academics, scholars, and many states including Ireland." Aine Ni Ghralaigh added that the proscription could cause 'irreparable harm' to individuals and civil society groups, warning that vague and ambiguous language in the order could lead to widespread self-censorship and a broader chilling effect on protest and free expression. Friday's hearing aimed both to pause the implementation of the ban and to determine whether Palestine Action can mount a full legal challenge against the proscription order. Israel's war on Gaza: Who are Palestine Action? Read More » The government's order to proscribe the group followed a vote in Parliament on Wednesday, during which MPs approved the order. Alongside Palestine Action, the proscription order also included the Maniacs Murder Cult, a neo-Nazi group, and the Russian Imperial Movement, a white supremacist organisation. The move came after Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last month using electric scooters and sprayed two RAF planes with red paint. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the act as 'disgraceful,' while the Ministry of Defence claimed the activists caused £7 million in damages. Following the parliamentary vote, Palestine Action criticised the Home Secretary for "bundling our domestic civil disobedience protest group in with two violent neo-Nazi militias". "Many MPs told us that, as a consequence, they felt they did not have the option to vote against the measure," the group said in a statement. Ten Labour MPs, including Liverpool MP Richard Burgon, voted against the government. Burgon warned that the ban risked 'criminalising thousands of volunteers and supporters.' Outside the High Court on Friday, hundreds gathered to protest the government's designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The court proceedings came a day after four activists linked to the RAF Brize Norton protest were denied bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The defendants - Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29; Jony Cink, 24; Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 35; and Lewie Chiaramello, 22 - were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to national safety. District Judge Daniel Steinberg denied bail over concerns that the four might commit further offences if released. They are due to appear at the Central Criminal Court on 18 July for a plea hearing. During Thursday's bail hearing, several supporters were ejected from the courtroom after chanting 'Free, free Palestine' as proceedings concluded.
Gulf Today
4 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Russia first country to recognise Taliban govt
Afghanistan's government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a "brave decision". The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Islamic law. They have keenly sought official international recognition and investment, as the country recovers from four decades of war, including the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989. The announcement was made after Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday. "This brave decision will be an example for others... Now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone," Muttaqi said in a video of the meeting on X. The flag of Afghanistan flutters at its embassy in Moscow on Friday. Reuters "Russia is the first country which has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate," Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal told AFP, using the government's name for their administration. Muttaqi said it was "a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement", the foreign ministry posted on X. Russia's foreign ministry added on Telegram: "We believe that the act of official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will boost the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in several areas." It highlighted potential "commercial and economic" cooperation in "energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure". 'Fight terrorism' The ministry said that Moscow hoped to continue helping Kabul "reinforce regional security and fight against the threats of terrorism and drug-trafficking". Moscow has taken recent steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities, removing them from a list of "terrorist organisations" in April and accepting a Taliban ambassador in Kabul. In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban "allies in the fight against terrorism". Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia. 'Allies' Only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates recognised the Taliban during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. This time, multiple other states, including China and Pakistan, have accepted Taliban ambassadors in their capitals, but have not officially recognised the Islamic Emirate since the end of the then-insurgency's two-decade war with US-led NATO troops. There has been limited but growing engagement with the Taliban authorities, particularly from regional neighbours, but also major global players China and Russia. China on Friday said it welcomed Russia's decision. An official gestures next to the flag of Afghanistan as he stands on the balcony of the Afghan embassy in Moscow on July 4, 2025. AFP "As a traditional friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. However, restrictions on women and girls, barring them from education and squeezing them from public life, have been key sticking points for Western nations. Multiple Afghan women activists were quick to condemn Russia's recognition. The move "legitimises a regime that bans girls from education, enforces public floggings, and shelters UN-sanctioned terrorists", said Mariam Solaimankhil, former member of Afghanistan's parliament. "The move signals that strategic interests will always outweigh human rights and international law." Senior Taliban figures remain under international sanctions, including by the United Nations. Another former MP in Kabul, Fawzia Koofi, said any recognition of the Taliban "will not bring peace it will legitimise impunity" and "risk endangering not just the people of Afghanistan, but also global security". Agence France-Presse
