US-made JDAM munitions used in central Beirut strikes: The Guardian
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Based on the “bolt pattern, its position and the shape of the remnant" it was determined that they are consistent with the tail fin of a US-made JDAM.
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Lebanese residents walking on the rubble of destroyed buildings with their belongings at the site of Thursday's Israeli airstrike in Beirut. (AP)
A US-made munition was used in the strike in central Beirut on Thursday in a failed attempt to assassinate Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah's Coordination and Liaison Unit., an examination of shrapnel recovered at the site by The Guardian showed.
This attack marks the third Israeli strike outside Beirut's Southern Suburb, following previous attacks on the Kola and Bashoura areas.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the aggression led to the martyrdom of 22 people and the injury of 117 others, highlighting the severe human toll.
First responders on the scene said that rescue teams had been searching under the debris all night for survivors and martyrs, adding that since residents recently welcomed evacuated Lebanese due to Israeli aggression in other regions, the building had more occupants than usual, making it the bloodiest attack in a year.
#AlMayadeen's correspondent reported that, for the first time, an Israeli airstrike has struck a building between the densely populated areas of Ras al-Nabaa and al-Nuwairi in Lebanon's capital, #Beirut.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 10, 2024
Our correspondent added that a number of injuries were reported while… pic.twitter.com/lj6cCAwVnL
On Friday afternoon, The Guardian discovered pieces of a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) made in the United States in the wreckage of the fallen apartment building. The US aerospace business Boeing manufactures JDAMs, which are guidance kits that connect to big "dumb bombs" weighing up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) and turn them into GPS-guided bombs.
The weapons residue was confirmed by a veteran US military bomb technician and Human Rights Watch's crisis, conflict, and armaments section.
After seeing a photograph of the fragment, Richard Weir, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch’s crisis, conflict, and arms division explained that the “bolt pattern, its position and the shape of the of the remnant are consistent with the tail fin of a US-made, Jdam, guidance kit for Mk80 series air-dropped munitions."
Three classes of bombs, the lowest weighing 500 pounds and the heaviest 2,000 pounds, are included in the Mk80 series.
Weir warned that when used in densely populated areas, it "places civilians and civilian objects in the immediate area at grave risk of immediate and lasting harm."
A US-made weapon hasn't been shown to have been used in an attack on Beirut since 2006.
The US has been heavily criticized for continuing to provide "Israel" with military funding, including $17.9 billion in military funding last year.
Need a price tag for 'Israel's' war? State Department's still guessing
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller seems uncertain about key details regarding US military aid to "Israel" during its war on Gaza, Nick Turse, contributing writer for The Intercept, said.
He admitted to not knowing the exact amount of aid provided or how much supplemental funding beyond the usual $3.3 billion has been allocated. While Miller acknowledged additional funds had been approved, he was unclear on the total, saying, "There are different ways of looking at it."
However, Miller firmly rejected the findings of a recent report by the Costs of War Project at Brown University, which calculated at least $22.76 billion in US military aid since October 7, 2023. This figure includes $17.9 billion in security assistance for Israeli military operations and costs related to US operations in the region, such as strikes against Yemen. Miller criticized the report, arguing that it "conflates" US military spending, particularly the $4.86 billion allocated for US Navy operations defending maritime shipping, which he said should not be counted as an aid to "Israel".
Since October 7, 2023, the US has supplied "Israel" with a range of military equipment, including 57,000 artillery shells, 36,000 rounds of cannon ammunition, 20,000 M4A1 rifles, and 13,981 anti-tank missiles.
President Joe Biden recently emphasized, "Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel," despite his administration's acknowledgment that "Israel" may have used US weapons in Gaza in violation of international law.
In August, the Biden administration approved five major arms deals for "Israel", including 50 F-15 fighter jets, tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, air-to-air missiles, and 50,000 mortar rounds, totaling over $20 billion. These sales are currently under debate in Congress.
William Hartung, from the Costs of War Project, clarified to The Intercept that the $20 billion in proposed arms sales, which Congress is now contesting, are excluded from their cost estimates.
"We also view the increased U.S. military presence in the region as closely tied to the chaos resulting from Israel's harsh war on Gaza," Hartung concluded.
