European arms maker MBDA linked to bombs that killed Gaza children
7 Min Read
An international probe reveals that European-made bomb components were used in deadly Gaza strikes, raising urgent questions about corporate accountability and civilian harm.
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A screengrab from a video that shows five-year-old Hanin al-Wadie stepping over the bodies of her family on May 26, 2024, when a GBU-39 hit the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school in Gaza City, killing 36 people, half of them children (X)
The Guardian, Disclose, and Follow the Money have uncovered that MBDA, Europe’s largest missile manufacturer, is supplying crucial components for bombs used by “Israel” in airstrikes on Gaza. These attacks have killed hundreds of civilians, including scores of children sheltering in homes, schools, and refugee camps.
At the center of the investigation is the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, a US-made precision weapon manufactured by Boeing and deployed heavily by “Israel” since October 2023. Each bomb is fitted with Diamond Back wings, foldable guidance fins produced by MBDA Inc., the American arm of the European defense giant. These wings steer the bomb toward its target and have been found at the scenes of some of the deadliest strikes in Gaza, where families were burned alive and entire neighborhoods reduced to ash.
These wing kits, which unfold after launch to guide the bomb to its target, are produced at MBDA’s plant in Alabama. Though the UK has reportedly halted certain arms exports to “Israel” over concerns of violations of international humanitarian law, the MBDA components continue to flow through the company’s US operation, bypassing British export controls.
Profiting despite restrictions
MBDA’s Alabama-manufactured components feed directly into Boeing’s bomb production. Revenue from MBDA Inc. is channeled through MBDA UK in Hertfordshire before being transferred to the firm’s French headquarters. In 2023, MBDA distributed nearly £350 million in dividends to its corporate shareholders: BAE Systems (UK), Airbus (France), and Leonardo (Italy).
Despite UK Foreign Minister David Lammy suspending 29 export licenses last September, citing a “clear risk” that weapons could be used unlawfully, the restrictions did not apply to MBDA’s US-manufactured components.
An MBDA spokesperson confirmed the company’s ongoing contract with Boeing, stating that the firm “complies [with] all relevant national and international laws applicable to the arms trade in the countries in which it operates.”
'Imagine a child in this situation seeing her parents in front of her in a fire'
Through open-source verification and forensic weapons analysis, the investigation confirmed 24 Israeli airstrikes involving GBU-39 bombs that caused civilian deaths. Every strike involved child casualties. The targets included schools, refugee camps, homes, and even a mosque during morning prayers, locations known to shelter displaced Palestinian families.
One of the most devastating strikes occurred on May 26, 2024, when a GBU-39 hit the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school in Gaza City, killing 36 people, half of them children. Five-year-old Hanin al-Wadie, who survived with severe burns, now suffers psychological trauma. “When she walks, she says she is afraid to step on the bodies,” her uncle told The Guardian. “Imagine a child in this situation seeing her parents in front of her in a fire.”
Wared, a little girl from #Gaza, managed to escape the fiery grips of death in what could be described as a horrific massacre.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 26, 2025
Wared survived, but she lost her mother and siblings, and her father is seriously injured.
Wared was displaced and sought safety in a… pic.twitter.com/V8fwXkin9T
Weapons expert Trevor Ball, of Armaments Research Services, confirmed GBU-39 components at the scene, including MBDA’s distinctive Diamond Back wings. “The GBU-39s have been used a lot to target schools and areas where other people are sheltering,” he noted.
The bombs are supplied through the US military aid program, which allows “Israel” to purchase US-made weapons and draw from Pentagon stockpiles. Since October 2023, more than 4,800 GBU-39s have been transferred to “Israe", including over 2,100 delivered in February 2024, shortly after UN estimates stated that 70% of Gaza had been destroyed.
'Precision' bomb with devastating impact
Though the GBU-39 has been touted by the US as a “lower-collateral” alternative to heavier munitions, in densely populated areas, its effects can be catastrophic. The 24 documented strikes between January and May 2024 killed more than 500 civilians, including over 100 children.
In one case on 2 November 2023, four GBU-39s were dropped on the al-Bureij refugee camp, collapsing several residential buildings and killing at least 19 members of a single family. The UN cited this attack as one of six cases in which “Israel” may have violated international humanitarian law.
Another airstrike on 26 May hit the Kuwaiti Peace Camp in Rafah, igniting fires that killed 45 civilians and wounded 249.
Financial trail and shareholder complicity
MBDA’s Diamond Back system is considered integral to the GBU-39, with weapons analysts confirming the bomb is not sold without its wings. MBDA is currently the sole known supplier of this component.
Though MBDA Inc. does not publish separate financial statements, its income is rolled into MBDA UK, where it represents over 40% of the company’s revenue. MBDA reported £4.2 billion in revenue in 2024, highlighting robust financial growth even as killings of Palestinians in Gaza continue to rise.
Critics say this underscores the profit motive driving arms supply to “Israel". Sam Perlo-Freeman of Campaign Against the Arms Trade stated, “MBDA are profiting from the arming of Israel. What MBDA could do if they wanted to not be complicit in arming Israel is they could sell MBDA Inc.”
He urged the UK government to go beyond symbolic arms suspension, “This includes sanctions on companies arming Israel and banning UK investment in them...."
UN report: War is lucrative
A recent report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese explored the role of corporate profits in sustaining “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza. “The present report shows why the genocide carried out by Israel continues: because it is lucrative for many,” she wrote.
A very recent #UN report by Special Rapporteur #FrancescaAlbanese exposes the global corporate web behind "Israel’s" genocide in #Gaza. From arms and tech to tourism and finance, corporations are not just complicit, they’re profiting.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 3, 2025
This carousel breaks it down sector by… pic.twitter.com/Kyvc0Zocod
While MBDA and Boeing were not among the 40 companies Albanese listed, she emphasized that her report revealed “only the tip of the iceberg.” She concluded, “Ending it will not happen without holding the private sector accountable.”
MBDA’s own ethics code claims a commitment to “preventing negative direct and indirect impacts our activities may have on human rights, fundamental freedoms, and people’s health and safety.” Yet, the company declined to say whether it had considered ending its role in supplying weapons used in Gaza or divesting from its US subsidiary.
MBDA stated only, “Activities that could involve the company in unlawful practices are prohibited.”
Shareholders BAE Systems and Airbus declined to comment beyond MBDA’s official statement, as per The Guardian. Leonardo alleged it “has always acted in full compliance with national and international regulations.” Boeing referred inquiries to the US government, whose spokesperson claimed: “The US supports Israel’s right to defend itself,” adding that US President Donald Trump and his foreign secretary remain committed to “regional peace.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in Gaza continues unabated, with daily massacres of Palestinians carried out through relentless airstrikes using European- and US-supplied weapons. The death toll nears 58,000, the majority of them women and children, as the population faces a man-made famine and catastrophic humanitarian collapse. These attacks, widely condemned by rights groups, constitute grave violations of international law and basic human dignity.
Read more: Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing
