In a sobering revelation of ongoing violence in Israel, intelligence information indicates that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have relied heavily on the use of 'dumb bombs' or gravity bombs since October 7th. The U.S. intelligence assessment compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence reports that between 40 and 44% of all the air-to-surface munitions used by Israel in Gaza during this period fall into that category.
Critics and experts argue that these unguided munitions are less precise, posing a greater danger to civilians on the ground, especially in a densely populated area such as Gaza. The precision of attacks often means the difference between life and death, and this has led to the phasing out of unguided munitions by the United States over the past decade.
Concerns are raised over whether Israel has the capability and strategy to use these munitions effectively. The acceptable threshold for potential civilian loss on any given strike comes under questioning, mainly due to Israel's public statements about their efforts to protect non-combatant life.
Twitter Post On Israel’s Use of Unguided Munitions Risking Gaza Civilian Lives
On civilian ground, horrifying experiences of the war are witnessed firsthand by hospital staff, dealing with the constant barrage of bomb strikes. One field hospital run by medical volunteers from UAE reports hearing at least 20 strikes per day. The United Nations estimates that women and children constitute two-thirds of those killed during this conflict. Personal tales of suffering, survival, and loss are regular, grim occurrences in this establishment.
Difficulty for international access to Gaza, due to the strict control by Israeli and Egyptian authorities, only heightens the concerns for the security and well-being of civilians. The densely populated nature of Gaza and lack of safe refuge contribute to the heightened crises, making the siege of Gaza a humanitarian catastrophe that demands immediate attention.
The escalating crisis in Gaza is now feared to morph into something even more disastrous if the necessary aid is not provided to the region. The continuous reporting on the ground aims to shed a light on these grim realities, prompting urgent calls for solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
