US news channel CNN reported that Israel is using unguided bombs on a large scale in attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip. Of the 29,000 bombs the Israeli Air Force has so far dropped on the enclave, 40 to 45 percent were ‘dumb missiles’.

Estimates come from US intelligence. CNN spoke with three sources who have seen the statistics.

‘Dome’ is the name given to missiles without a guidance system. Precision bombing uses projectiles that independently locate their target based on GPS, radar and built-in maps.

By using ‘dumb’ bombs, the Israeli military runs a high risk of causing civilian casualties, especially in a densely populated area like the Gaza Strip, according to CNN.

An Israeli military spokesman would not tell CNN about the various weapons used by the air force, saying the armed forces are doing everything they can to protect civilians. “We are fighting against Hamas, not against the Palestinian people.”

US President Joe Biden warned again this week that Israel is losing the support of the international community over its handling of the bombings.

Officials in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip say 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in two months.

Peter von Ammelrooy