US requests that the Israelis use 'smaller bombs' in Gaza: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: New York Times
5 Nov 2023 02:25
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A military official says that the US has mobilized drones, military satellites, and aircraft from the carriers in search for intel on the Israeli captives in Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sits onboard the plane during his visit to "Israel" as he departs en route to Jordan, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 (AP)

The New York Times has reported that the US plans to contain the genocidal rampage campaign in Gaza by requesting that the Israeli Occupation Forces use 'smaller bombs' to reduce the increasingly morbid number of killed civilians; in an effort to dodge international humanitarian concerns.

According to the report which cited anonymous US officials who were involved in private meetings with the Israeli officials, the US outlined a set of directives that could make the Israeli operation more effective and allegedly fatal to civilians in Gaza:

Focusing their efforts on assassinating Hamas leaders
Enhancing intelligence gathering regarding Hamas command and control networks before launching airstrikes
Using smaller bombs to destroy the tunnel network
Deploying ground forces to separate civilian population centers from areas with concentrated militant presence.

'Smaller' bombs

American military officials have advised the Israelis to use small bombs, which they assess to be more suitable for the dense urban environments of Gaza, instead of the larger bombs that they are currently using (which have been reportedly stockpiled over the years to be used against fortified Hezbollah military positions in Lebanon).

Is US picking out targets?

The official adds to NYT that the United States has also increased its intelligence-gathering efforts in Gaza, utilizing drones to search allegedly for captives held by the resistance, redirecting military satellites to monitor the region, and deploying aircraft from two carriers in the Mediterranean to collect additional intelligence, including electronic intercepts.

The official stressed that while the US is extensively sharing intelligence with the IOF, they are not helping them pick out targets for the strikes.

The US has been attempting to pose as a non-party in this aggression on Gaza, but such operations are a direct participation in the ongoing war.

It was noted that so far the Israeli war on Gaza has failed to take out middle and senior leaders in Hamas, One senior U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details told NYT.

American officials believe the more brutally reckless "Israel" is with the ongoing aggression, and the greater the Palestinian death toll, the more quickly pressure will build on its leaders to end the war. A more targeted campaign, US officials advise, could go on for longer and can inflict more sustained damage to Hamas’s military wing.

A report by Politico revealed on Saturday that so-called Progressive lawmakers in the US have been pressuring the Biden administration to use its influence to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza resulting from Israeli strikes.

While the White House supports only a temporary ceasefire, the Israeli leadership has opposed it, setting the stage for a political clash.

Congress is considering a funding request, including over $14.3 billion for "Israel", as part of a national security supplemental package.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are demanding that "Israel" publicly share plans for civilian safety and humanitarian issues before finalizing additional aid.

These demands are part of a 'growing chorus' of Democrats who have grown more wary of the scale of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and have been calling for a ceasefire to allow civilians to leave.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these calls, saying that a ceasefire would constitute a form of surrender to Hamas.

This dispute intensifies the tension between a crucial ally of the US and progressive pressure over humanitarian concerns.