UPDATE - Israel used US-made munitions to kill 43 civilians in Gaza: Rights group

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM AMNESTY STATEMENT, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLAMARD

By Emre Basaran

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli military killed 43 Palestinians using US-made munitions in two documented air strikes in the blockaded Gaza Strip, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday.

“A new investigation by Amnesty International has found US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) were used by the Israeli military in two deadly, unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip,” the organization said in a post on X.

“The two strikes killed a total of 43 civilians. In both cases, survivors said there had been no warning of an imminent strike,” the watchdog added.

“These strikes were either direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects or indiscriminate attacks. They must be investigated as war crimes,” Amnesty further said.

The organization also called upon the US to stop arms supply to Israel.

“The US must immediately stop transferring arms to Israel that more likely than not will be used to commit or heighten risks of violations of international law,” it concluded in the post.

The organization also published additional details on its website.

"The organization found that these air strikes were either direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects or indiscriminate attacks and is calling for them to be investigated as war crimes," the watchdog said in the statement on its website.

"On 10 October, an air strike on the al-Najjar family home in Deir al-Balah killed 24 people. On 22 October, an air strike on the Abu Mu’eileq family home in the same city killed 19 people. Both homes were south of Wadi Gaza, within the area where, on 13 October, the Israeli military had ordered residents of northern Gaza to relocate to," it added.

Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, said: “The fact that US-made munitions are being used by Israeli military in unlawful attacks with deadly consequences for civilians should be an urgent wake-up call to the (Joe) Biden administration. The US-made weapons facilitated the mass killings of extended families.”

“Two families have been decimated in these strikes, further proof that the Israeli military is responsible for unlawfully killing and injuring civilians in its bombardment of Gaza," said Callamard, who is a former UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions.

“In the face of the unprecedented civilian death toll and scale of destruction in Gaza, the US and other governments must immediately stop transferring arms to Israel that more likely than not will be used to commit or heighten risks of violations of international law," she added.

The secretary general also emphasized that "to knowingly assist in violations is contrary to the obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law."

"A state that continues to supply arms being used to commit violations may share responsibility for these violations,” she added in criticism of the US for arms transfers to Israel.

The watchdog also said that there were "no legitimate military targets" in the area Israel bombed.

"Amnesty International did not find any indication that there were any military objectives at the sites of the two strikes or that people in the buildings were legitimate military targets, raising concerns that these strikes were direct attacks on civilians," it said.

"In addition, even if the strikes – which Israel has yet to provide any information about – were intended to target military objectives, the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in such densely populated areas could make these indiscriminate attacks. As such, these attacks must be investigated as war crimes," Amnesty added.

- 'Bombs used US-manufactured JDAM kits'

"In both attacks, the bombs used US-manufactured JDAM kits," the watchdog said.

"The photos of the metal fragments from the weapons clearly show the distinctive rivets and harness system that indicate they served as a part of the frame that surrounds the body of the bomb of a JDAM. In addition, the codes stamped on the plates from both sets of recovered scrap, 70P862352, are associated with JDAMs and Boeing, the manufacturer," Amnesty said.

It added that additional codes stamped on the plates "indicate that the JDAM that killed members of the al-Najjar family was manufactured in 2017, while the JDAM that killed members of the Abu Mu’eileq family was manufactured in 2018."

The organization also said that they contacted the Israeli military to inquire about the attacks and have not received a response from it yet.

"Amnesty International sent questions regarding the two attacks to the Israeli military’s spokesperson unit on 21 November. At the time of publication, no response had been received," it concluded.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Friday after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.

At least 15,899 Palestinians have been killed and more than 42,000 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.