Made within the USA: How American-Constructed Weapons Have Wrought Destruction in Gaza

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On the night time of Jan. 7 this 12 months, three 250-pound bombs smashed into an condominium block within the Al Tuffah neighbourhood of northern Gaza. Footage of the aftermath exhibits partitions collapsed, rubble piled up and blackened home goods scattered throughout the scene.

Though a ceasefire has been in impact since October, and a Board of Peace led by US President Donald Trump has been introduced to start section two of that course of, Israel has continued to conduct strikes inside Gaza

The IDF claimed they focused a senior Hamas operative in response to a violation of the ceasefire settlement within the Jan. 7 assault. 

Two individuals had been reported to have been killed.

Whereas the strike was an Israeli operation, among the many particles had been munition remnants of no less than three US-made GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, together with one which didn’t explode.

American-made munitions like these have performed a big position in Israel’s operations in Gaza. 

The US has supplied billions of {dollars} value of army assist to Israel over time, and has enacted laws offering no less than US$16.3 billion in direct army assist since the latest battle started. Within the first few months of the Trump Administration almost $12 billion in main weapon gross sales to Israel had been authorized with deliveries scheduled to take years to finish.

Nevertheless, human rights teams like Amnesty Worldwide and Human Rights Watch have stated that US-made weapons have been utilized in Gaza in ways in which have doubtless violated worldwide legislation. A number of worldwide media stories have additionally recognized particular person cases of civilian hurt doubtless brought on by US weaponry deployed by Israel in Gaza.

A 2024 State Division report, accomplished in the course of the administration of former President Joe Biden, even acknowledged that on account of Israel’s “important reliance on US-made defence articles it’s affordable to evaluate” that they’ve been utilized in “cases inconsistent with its IHL [International Humanitarian Law] obligations or with established greatest practices for mitigating civilian hurt” — though Israel says it operates inside worldwide legislation and seeks to mitigate civilian hurt whereas aiming to dismantle Hamas’ army capabilities. 

But the total extent of civilian hurt in Gaza precipitated by means of US-produced weapons stays unclear. 

International media will not be allowed into Gaza and the documentation of occasions there has relied closely on social media footage and the work of native journalists, lots of whom have been killed in Israeli air or floor strikes whereas finishing up their work.

Collating Incidents

Bellingcat has collated scores of incidents just like the Jan. 7 strike in Al Tuffah the place US-produced munitions have been discovered within the aftermath of Israeli strikes.

This evaluation utilises publicly accessible media footage and identifies no less than 79 particular instances, lots of which precipitated loss of life and harm to civilian infrastructure akin to colleges, properties and healthcare infrastructure.

Whereas revealing, it is very important observe that the information comes with some important caveats and limitations that should be acknowledged earlier than exploring it.

Gaza has been pummelled for the reason that Hamas assaults of Oct. 7, 2023, when greater than 1,200 Israelis had been killed and lots of extra kidnapped. 

In response, Israel is reported to have deployed 30,000 munitions into Gaza within the first seven weeks of the battle alone. The Israeli Airforce has additionally bombed over 100 completely different targets in Gaza in a single day a number of instances.

This dataset – which particulars instances the place US-made munition remnants have been discovered and proof of their use printed in media or posted to social media – subsequently solely captures a small fraction of the general incidents over greater than two years of battle.

Moreover, Israel and the US each produce a few of the identical munitions, such because the MK-80 sequence of bombs. The US provide of this sequence, particularly the two,000-pound MK-84 of which over 14,000 have reportedly been delivered since Oct. 7 2023, have been central to requires the suspension of US arms transfers to Israel on account of their harmful potential. 

However as a result of Israel additionally makes these bombs domestically the nation of origin can’t be definitively recognized with out particular remnants that present both the lot quantity, indicating the producer, or different figuring out info.

Because of this a choice was made to attempt to observe using three particular munitions which are made solely within the US and which Israel doesn’t domestically produce. This, once more, considerably decreased the variety of incidents analysed. 

These munitions had been Hellfire missiles, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs and Joint Direct Assault Munition (JDAM) bomb steerage kits. Whereas this evaluation doesn’t observe MK-80 sequence bombs, the JDAM equipment is one in all a number of steerage kits that may connect to bombs just like the MK-84 however which is barely produced by the US. 

The total dataset could be discovered right here. The munition identifications had been reviewed by Frederic Gras, an unbiased Explosive Remnants of Conflict (ERW) Skilled and Advisor.

Regardless of all the above caveats and limitations, the evaluation recorded 79 geolocated incidents the place remnants of those three fashions of US-made munitions had been both discovered within the aftermath of a strike or had been captured in visible imagery within the moments earlier than impression.

Past the 79 instances analysed and included within the dataset, different US-made munitions had been recognized in an additional 26 instances, though it was not attainable to geolocate the remnants or strikes previous to publication. It might be attainable to geolocate the excellent incidents in time. Bellingcat is, subsequently, together with these incidents within the dataset however notes additional work is required for them. 

Lots of the geolocations within the dataset had been initially posted publicly by unbiased geolocators, or volunteers from the GeoConfirmed group, together with Anno Nemo, Abu Location, fdov, Chris Osieck, Zvi Adler and Will Cobb. These geolocations had been independently checked and verified by Bellingcat.

For the 79 incidents it was attainable to geolocate, Bellingcat sought to compile stories of civilian hurt. But given the dearth of entry afforded to worldwide observers it was not attainable to independently confirm every of those stories of casualties or fatalities.

The stories, lots of which cite well being authorities in Gaza, detailed that no less than 744 individuals had been killed in these 79 strikes, together with no less than 78 ladies and 175 kids. When stories provided a spread for the quantity killed, or variety of ladies and youngsters killed, Bellingcat used the decrease finish of the estimate. 

Israel not often gives estimates for civilian casualties from their strikes. It has additionally claimed that the Gaza Ministry of Well being has exaggerated loss of life tolls after particular strikes. Analysing earlier public reporting of every incident within the dataset, Bellingcat discovered that the IDF had claimed no less than 69 folks that had been reported killed in these assaults had been militants belonging to Hamas or different factions. In one strike, the place no less than 33 individuals had been reported killed, the IDF claimed to have focused “dozens” of Hamas members, releasing the names of 17 individuals they stated had been a part of Hamas. 

Bellingcat requested the IDF if they might present a complete for the variety of individuals killed within the assaults listed within the dataset or for any particular strikes however they didn’t present a determine. A spokesperson for the IDF supplied info for eight strikes throughout the dataset that it stated sought to hit “terrorist targets”. Bellingcat has famous this response beside every incident within the dataset.

The spokesperson added that Israel “strikes army targets and targets in accordance with worldwide legislation and takes all possible measures to mitigate hurt to civilians and civilian constructions as a lot as attainable.”

The Gaza Ministry of Well being has reported that over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed within the battle. Whereas Israel has lengthy disputed these casualty figures, Israeli media lately cited nameless Israeli Defence Pressure (IDF) sources who stated they believed them to be largely correct. Israel has claimed to have killed about 25,000 militants in Gaza. 

Assaults on Colleges

Assaults on colleges, mosques, shelters and residences are all included within the dataset. In complete, 28 strikes on colleges utilizing US made munitions had been recognized. GBU-39 bomb remnants had been discovered on the web site of 20 of those strikes. Most of those befell earlier than the ceasefire of January 2025.

For instance, the Khadija college in Deir Al Balah was focused in three rounds of airstrikes on July 27, 2024 that used each GBU-39 bombs and MK-80 sequence bombs geared up with JDAM kits. Satellite tv for pc imagery earlier than and after the strike confirmed important harm to the power.

Video from the bottom supplied extra element, exhibiting that the primary spherical of airstrikes focused 5 completely different areas of the college complicated.

The unexploded bomb physique of a GBU-39 was discovered inside the college, whereas the fuzewell from a GBU-39 bomb that exploded was photographed close to the destroyed gate construction.

An evacuation discover was then reportedly issued, and two buildings on the jap aspect of the complicated had been focused with bigger bombs, leveling the buildings there. A further evacuation discover was reportedly issued earlier than a 3rd strike. 

A video of the third strike exhibits no less than six individuals, together with a toddler, seen inside roughly 55 meters of the place a bomb geared up with a US-made JDAM equipment hit one of many already collapsed buildings on the jap aspect of the complicated.

These three strikes killed no less than 30 individuals, together with 15 kids and eight ladies, in line with stories collated by Airwars. Not less than 100 had been injured, in line with the identical stories. Most individuals had been reportedly harmed within the preliminary strikes, in line with the UN Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights.

The United Nations reported on the finish of February 2025 that 403 of 564 college buildings in Gaza had been “immediately hit” in some method, both by airstrikes or by different munitions. College buildings are sometimes used as shelters. Nevertheless, Israel has claimed in some cases that they had been getting used as Hamas command centres.

After the battle resumed in March 2025, recorded strikes on colleges usually appeared to make use of Israeli-made munitions. Solely two strikes on colleges since then had been discovered to have used US made munitions – a Could 2025 assault on the Fahmy Al Jarjawi college with no less than three US-made GBU-39 bombs that killed 36 individuals, in line with hospitals in Gaza, and a July 2025 strike on Cairo Primary College the place 5 individuals had been reported killed and the place remnants of a Hellfire missile was discovered.

Whereas the dataset exhibits no different assaults on colleges utilizing US munitions after this era, it is very important observe that there could have been different cases the place US-made munitions had been utilized in such circumstances however which weren’t recorded.

Strikes on Healthcare Services

Two strikes utilizing US-made munitions to immediately goal medical services had been recognized on this evaluation. A Hellfire missile was utilized in a June 2024 strike on a well being clinic in Gaza Metropolis that killed Hani al-Jafarawi, the director of ambulance and emergency providers in Gaza. Nevertheless, the IDF claimed the strike had killed “the terrorist Muhammad Salah, who was chargeable for initiatives and growth in Hamas’ Weapons Manufacturing Headquarters”.

The Gaza Civil Defence Headquarters in Al Daraj, Gaza Metropolis, was additionally focused with a US-made GBU-39 bomb in September 2024. The bomb penetrated a number of flooring however didn’t explode, inflicting accidents however no deaths.

5 cases of US-made munitions getting used for strikes close to medical services had been additionally recognized. 4 of those strikes used Hellfire missiles to focus on tents inside roughly 150 meters of the Al Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital Foremost Complicated in Deir Al Balah.

The fifth strike used a US JDAM doubtless hooked up to a MK-82 500-pound bomb to focus on the Al Aqsa Mosque throughout the road from the hospital, roughly 50 meters away from the primary hospital complicated. This strike killed 26 individuals, in line with the Gaza Ministry of Well being. 

A US Marine Corps guide on Shut Air Help states {that a} MK-82 bomb delivered inside 425 meters is taken into account “hazard shut”, with a bomb delivered inside 250 meters being 100 instances extra harmful than the minimal “hazard shut” commonplace.

Evacuation Strike Notices

Twenty-six strikes had been recognized the place US munitions had been used to focus on buildings together with properties, colleges and mosques after an evacuation discover was issued by the IDF. In 23 of those strikes there was no reported hurt. Nevertheless, there was important hurt recorded in others even with evacuation notices. 

Evacuation notices are notifications that present advance warning of strikes and could be made on social media or despatched to individuals’s telephones. These notices typically present journalists on the bottom time to arrange cameras to report the incoming strikes. Such movies are often of excessive sufficient high quality to establish the bomb steerage equipment hooked up as JDAMs equipment as they fall, as could be seen within the video beneath.

لحظة قصف مسجد الألباني في مدينة خانيونس بصاروخين من طيران الحربي .
The second the Al-Albani Mosque in Khan Younis
was bombed with two missiles by warplanes.

🎥 : Abdallah Alattar / Anadoluimages
1 أغسطس 2025 pic.twitter.com/U3Tad0veA6

— عبدالله العطار abdallah alattar (@abdallahatar) August 1, 2025

By Sept. 17, 2025 Israel stated it had destroyed 25 high-rise buildings in preparation for his or her assault on Gaza Metropolis. Bellingcat was capable of establish that no less than seven high-rise buildings in Gaza Metropolis, together with Al Soussi Tower, Al Roya Tower, and Al Roya 2 Tower, had been issued evacuation notices then destroyed utilizing MK-80 sequence bombs with JDAM kits.

The Aybaki Mosque, constructed within the thirteenth century, was additionally hit with MK-80 sequence bombs with JDAM equipment, which the IDF informed Bellingcat was a strike concentrating on the “deputy commander of heavy machine weapons unit in Hamas, Khaled Nabil Saleh Shabat”. The IDF has claimed that these tall buildings host Hamas infrastructure, together with commentary posts and ready assault positions.

The public warnings posted by the IDF for buildings focused in Gaza Metropolis in September 2025 alerted residents of particular blocks, in addition to these within the goal constructing and adjoining tents to go away and head south in direction of the IDF declared humanitarian zone.

Previous to strikes in Lebanon the place the IDF issued evacuation notices, maps had been publicly posted requesting civilians evacuate no less than 500 meters away. Nevertheless, a evaluation of public posts by the IDF for evacuation notices in Gaza from September 2025 discovered no notices that present a particular evacuation distance.

Bellingcat requested the IDF if the content material of evacuation notices despatched to individuals’s telephones differ in content material from these publicly posted and why evacuation notices in Gaza appeared to not present a beneficial evacuation distance like these issued by the IDF in Lebanon. The IDF informed Bellingcat that they difficulty “clear and detailed advance warnings by way of a number of channels, together with communications printed by the IDF Arabic Spokesperson and permits the civilian inhabitants to evacuate earlier than strike.”

The gap persons are informed to evacuate previous to strikes is vital as fragments from bombs, or the buildings being focused, can nonetheless kill or injure individuals lots of of meters away.

In a single strike the place an evacuation discover was given earlier than the strike, a four-year-old woman, Razan Hamdiye, was reported killed. One particular person was additionally reported killed within the strike on the AlRoya tower.

After the airstrike concentrating on the Concord Tower, a graphic video captured by the Anadolu Company confirmed a bunch of individuals about 120 meters away had been both killed or injured by the strike, regardless of the evacuation discover.

US-made munitions have additionally been utilized in different IDF strikes, together with one which reportedly killed the chief of Hamas’ Army Wing, Mohammed Deif. Not less than 90 individuals had been reported killed on this assault and US-made JDAM remnants recovered. US munitions had been additionally used within the September 2025 strike that reportedly killed Hamas Spokesman, “Abu Obayda” and no less than six different individuals, the place remnants of US-made GBU-39 bombs had been discovered.

American-made munitions had been additionally used alongside different unidentified munitions within the June 2024 IDF hostage rescue operation in Nuseirat, the place 274 individuals had been reportedly killed. These 274 deaths will not be included within the 744 individuals reported killed within the incidents contained throughout the dataset as a result of incapability to establish the opposite weapons utilized in no less than 13 strikes that occurred in the course of the operation.

Bellingcat reached out to the IDF, the US Division of State, and the US Division of Protection earlier than publishing this story. Bellingcat additionally requested the first contractors for these munitions, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, about whether or not they observe how their merchandise are utilized in Gaza.

Boeing, which manufactures the GBU-39 bomb and JDAM bomb steerage equipment didn’t reply. Neither did Lockheed Martin, which makes the AGM-114 “Hellfire” missile.

The Division of Protection declined to remark.

A spokesperson for the US Division of State stated “The US Authorities will not be capable of make such determinations” when requested what number of civilian deaths could possibly be attributed to using US-made weapons in Gaza. 

Bellingcat requested if the State Division held a special evaluation than the NSM-20 which was launched below President Biden and decided that it was affordable to evaluate that US-made weapons had been utilized by Israel in cases “inconsistent with its IHL obligations or with established greatest practices for mitigating civilian hurt”. The spokesperson stated “NSM-20 is now not US coverage.”

The State Division referred different questions on using the munitions highlighted on this article to the Israeli Defence Forces, who informed Bellingcat that they don’t element the munitions they make use of and that Hamas exploits “civilian infrastructure for terrorist functions”.

Jake Godin and Carlos Gonzales contributed to this report.

Afton Briones, a member of Bellingcat’s Volunteer Group, contributed analysis to this piece.

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