Falcon powers – The Guardian newspaper reported that Israel used an American weapon in the airstrike that killed seven healthcare workers in southern Lebanon on March 27th.
Seven volunteer medics, aged between 18 and 25, were killed in the attack on a Lebanese Relief Association ambulance center in the town of Habariyah in southern Lebanon on March 27th.
The Guardian examined remnants of an Israeli 500-pound MBAR bomb and US-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) recovered by first responders from the attack site, and verified the fragments through photos provided by Human Rights Watch and an independent weapons expert.
The newspaper explained that the weapon is a guidance kit produced by the American aviation company Boeing, which is attached to dumb bombs weighing between 500 and 2000 pounds, transforming them into precision-guided missiles using the Global Positioning System (GPS).
It stated that these weapons have been central to Israel’s military effort in Gaza and Lebanon and have been among the most sought-after ammunition from the United States.
The recovered fragments from the Habariyah attack included shrapnel indicating it was an “MBAR 500 bomb,” along with parts of the American device that connects the bomb to the guidance system and remnants of its engine. Rights Watch stated that its own investigation concluded that the airstrike on the healthcare center was unlawful and should have implications for US military aid to Israel.
Ramzi Kais, a researcher on Lebanon at Human Rights Watch, said, “Israel’s claims that it uses American weapons legally lack credibility, given Israel’s continued pattern of violating international law in Gaza and Lebanon. The Biden administration must immediately suspend arms sales to Israel.”
