The U.S. has sent at least 100 massive bombs known as “bunker busters” to Israel since its war on Hamas began Oct. 7, weapons capable of penetrating deep into concrete structures, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Shipments of the 2,000 pound BLU-109 bunker buster bombs accompanied 15,000 bombs of other varieties and 57,000 artillery shells worth hundreds of millions of dollars, mostly via Air Force C-17 cargo planes, and continued in recent days, the WSJ reported, citing U.S. officials. At the same time, the Biden administration has increased pressure on Israel to certify that its targeting practices minimize civilian casualties.
“I made clear that after a pause, it was imperative that Israel put in place clear protections for civilians, and for sustaining humanitarian assistance going forward,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday while in Dubai, according to the WSJ. (RELATED: Hamas Likely Holding American Hostages As Leverage Against Biden Admin, Experts Warn)
Pentagon officials have declined to provide specifics on the record of the varieties and and quantity of weapons sent to Israel.
“Bunker busters” fall in a category of munitions the U.S. military has employed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and Libya to attack large gatherings of enemy targets in mostly open environments, the WSJ reported. They earned their name by their ability to penetrate and destroy concrete fortifications.
In contrast, Israel’s operations in Gaza mostly involve ground fighting and airstrikes on buildings in densely populated urban environments. It may attempt to target Hamas’ vast network of underground tunnels with the BLU-109 bombs.
“They are kind of the weapons of choice for the fights we had in Afghanistan and Syria in open, non-urban areas,” said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense and officer in the Marine Corps and CIA, told the WSJ. “The U.S. may use them in more urban areas, but first it would do a lot of target analysis to make sure the attack was proportional and based on military necessity.”
Other transfers include 5,000 Mk82 unguided bombs, more than 5,400 Mk84 bombs with 2,000 pound warheads, roughly 1,000 GBU-39 small diameter bombs and roughly 3,000 JDAMs, kits that can be added to unguided munitions to give them precision strike capabilities, the WSJ reported, citing an internal U.S. government list provided to the outlet.
A BLU-109 “Bunker Buster” undergoing testing. The 25mm thick steel casing enables the bomb to penetrate 4-6 ft of reinforced concrete! As you can see, the BLU-109 goes through concrete like a hot knife through butter. Incredible weapon. #avgeeks #aviation #aviationdaily #USAF pic.twitter.com/EeZGSemZgh
— Air Power (@RealAirPower1) April 29, 2023
Israel renewed strikes on Gaza early Friday as efforts to prolong a temporary ceasefire that began Nov. 24 collapsed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to continue the war until Hamas has been destroyed, according to NBC News.
The Pentagon announced deliveries of precision munitions, air defense, medical support and other equipment within days of Israel declaring war on Hamas in retaliation for brutal terrorist attacks. Deliveries flowed into Israel on an almost daily basis, the Pentagon said, mostly coming from already-planned transfers put on an accelerated track.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Defense, as well as the White House National Security Council, did not respond to the WSJ. The Department of Defense did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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