How many bombs has Israel dropped on Gaza?

Submitted by Ali Abunimah on Tue, 08/19/2014 - 18:23

03082014_ra_00_12.jpg
Palestinians look at an une!loded "s#aeli missile, $hi%h $itnesses said $as
&#ed by an "s#aeli ai#%#a't on a st#eet in (hu)aa, east o' (han *ounis, in the
southe#n +a)a St#i!, 3 Au,ust-
./amadan 0l-A,ha / APA ima,es1
A 'e$ days be'o#e he $as killed t#yin, to disa#m an une!loded
"s#aeli missile, 2a)em Abu 3u#ad, the head o' +a)a4s bomb
s5uad, estimated that "s#ael had d#o!!ed bet$een ei,hteen to t$enty
thousand tons o' e!losi6es on +a)a sin%e 7 8uly-
As " $#ite, "s#ael has #esumed its hea6y bomba#dment a'te# a nine-day t#u%e
ended $ithout a lon,-te#m %ease&#e a,#eement-
"' Abu 3u#ad4s estimate is #i,ht, then the e!losi6e !o$e# "s#ael has &#ed on
+a)a by land, sea and ai# so 'a# is #ou,hly e5ui6alent to one o' the atomi%
bombs the 9nited States d#o!!ed on 8a!an in Au,ust 194:-
The bomb d#o!!ed on 2i#oshima $as #ated at 13 kilotons ; the e5ui6alent
o' thi#teen thousand tons o' hi,h-e!losi6e T<T ; $hile the bomb d#o!!ed
on <a,asaki $as #ated at 21 kilotons-
Abu 3u#ad, $ho died alon, $ith &6e othe# !eo!le on 13 Au,ust, estimated
that about one thousand tons o' une!loded munitions #emained- The#e
a#e mo#e than 1,900 !eo!le killedin the on,oin, "s#aeli assault ; that is
mo#e than one out o' e6e#y thousand o' +a)a4s nea#ly 1-8 million #esidents-
"s#ael %onstantly !ublishes %laims about ho$ many mo#ta# shells o# #o%kets
ha6e been &#ed '#om +a)a ; it %laims 'o# instan%e that 3,3=0 #o%kets $e#e
&#ed '#om +a)a bet$een 8 8uly and = Au,ust-
"t is $ell kno$n that the #o%kets ha6e %aused minimal dama,e and
%asualties, and most 'all in so-%alled >o!en a#eas-?
@ut e6en the numbe#, $hi%h is su!!osed to sound im!#essi6e and Austi'y
the atta%k on +a)a, is a%tually minus%ule %om!a#ed $ith the 6olume o'
o#dnan%e "s#ael &#es into +a)a-
0stimates based on !a#tial in'o#mation '#om "s#aeli sou#%es indi%ate that
"s#ael has &#ed tens o' thousands o' a#tille#y shells into +a)a and d#o!!ed a
ba#e minimum o' si thousand tons o' bombs '#om the ai#- Abu 3u#ad4s on-
the-,#ound estimate is %e#tainly !lausible-
And the e6iden%e su,,ests that %ont#a#y to "s#aeli oB%ial !#o!a,anda about
the %a#e taken to !#ote%t %i6ilians, the 6ast maAo#ity o' "s#aeli munitions a#e
ina%%u#ate and indis%#iminate in the %ontet o' densely-!o!ulated a#eas
$he#e they ha6e been $idely used in +a)a-
This !#obably e!lains $hy "s#ael is so
%oy about !ubli%i)in, the numbe# o'
missiles, bombs and shells it &#es at
+a)a-
3assi6e dama,e
Chat is not in doubt ; ,i6en the 6ast
s%ale o' killin, and dest#u%tion inDi%ted
in +a)a, as do%umented in 9< satellite
ima,es ; is that it is indeed an
eno#mous numbe#-
"n one o' the most se6e#ely hit
a#eas, (hu)aaand al-Ea#a#a in the
southeaste#n +a)a St#i!, the 9<
%ounted 2,493 dest#oyed st#u%tu#es,
1,243 se6e#ely dama,ed st#u%tu#es and
2,014 im!a%t %#ate#s-
The "s#aeli milita#y itsel' states that
bet$een 8 8uly and : Au,ust, >ae#ial,
na6al and ,#ound 'o#%es st#u%k 4,7=2
te##o# sites a%#oss the +a)a St#i!-?
F' %ou#se $e kno$ that "s#ael de&nes
e6e#ythin, it bombs as a >te##o# site,?
satellite_detail_khuza
a.jpg
Getail '#om 9< satellite ima,e#y
sho$in, total dest#u%tion o'
buildin,s in (hu)aa, +a)a St#i!-
.9<FSAT1
so this numbe# in%ludes thousands o' %i6ilian homes, mos5ues, businesses
and othe#%i6ilian obAe%ts and in'#ast#u%tu#e-
Ce also kno$ that "s#aeli munitions 'a%to#ies $e#e >$o#kin, in shi'ts, 24
hou#s a day? to !#o6ide enou,h ammunition and shells to 'o#%es atta%kin,
+a)a-
Gu#in, the atta%k, the Fbama administ#ation also #e!lenished "s#aeli
sto%ks '#om a one billion dolla# $ea!ons sto%k!ile the 9S kee!s in "s#ael-
This in%luded 120 mm mo#ta# #ounds and 40 mm ,#enades-
120814_mo_00_8.jpg
A Palestinian boy su#6eys the dest#u%tion %aused by "s#aeli ai#st#ikes in @eit
2anoun in the no#the#n +a)a St#i!, 12 Au,ust- .3ohammed Asad / APA
ima,es1
"s#aeli sou#%es !#o6ide some in'o#mation that allo$s us to ,ene#ate a mo#e
a%%u#ate !i%tu#e o' the 5uantity o' e!losi6es "s#ael &#ed, and $hy thei#
im!a%t $as so lethal and indis%#iminate-
"ndis%#iminate a#tille#y &#e
The easiest ty!e o' munition to estimate is a#tille#y shells- Fn 14
Au,ust, 2aa#et) !ublished the 'ollo$in, in'o#mation, sou#%ed to a >senio#
oB%ial o' the ,ene#al staH? o' the "s#aeli a#my .em!hasis added1:
The estimated cost of the total ammunition used in Gaza fghting is
estimated at about 1.3 billion shekels [$370 million]. Accoding to
the am!"s fgues# 39,000 tank shells, 34,000 a#tille#y shells, and
4-8 million bullets $ee su%%lied duing the fghting. &enio milita!
fgues estimate that land foces alone used at least '0 %ecent of
the (#000 tons of ammunition gi)en to them# but the *+, [*saeli
am!] cannot !et e)aluate it accuatel!.
Accoding to the same senio sta- o.ce# most of the ammunition
came fom *saeli %oduction lines. &ome of the ammunition $as
%uchased fom the /& duing hostilities# $ithin the 0ad)ance
%lacement1 %ogam. Additional ammunition and fghting
e2ui%ment# along $ith medical e2ui%ment# $ee also odeed
duing hostilities# using an e3%edited %ocedue )ia the +efense
4inist!.
"s#ael e!e#t Gena Shun#a notes that the %on%e#n he#e is %ost ; this is a
mo6e in bud,et ne,otiations in $hi%h the a#my seeks mo#e money ; and
that is the %ontet in $hi%h the numbe#s a#e #e6ealed-
"', as #e!o#ted, =0 !e#%ent o' the sto#es $e#e used, that $ould mean 23,400
tank shells, 20,400 a#tille#y shells and 2-9 million bullets- That is almost t$o
bullets 'o# e6e#y man, $oman and %hild in +a)a-
150814_ra_00_1.jpg
Palestinians ,athe# on 1: Au,ust in <usei#at #e'u,ee %am! in the %ent#al
+a)a St#i! nea# the #ubble o' a mos5ue that $as dest#oyed by an "s#aeli ai#
st#ike- "n the 'o#e,#ound a#e disa#med une!loded "s#aeli a#tille#y
shells- ./amadan 0l-A,ha / APA ima,es1
@ut, by at least one a%%ount, this is a $oe'ul unde#estimate- A%%o#din, to
the $ebsite "s#ael Ge'ense, %itin, milita#y sou#%es, the "s#aeli a#my &#ed
>not 'e$e# than 40,000 1:: mm a#tille#y shells? into +a)a-
The most %ommon a#tille#y munition "s#ael em!loys is the 1:: mm 3107
hi,h-e!losi6e shell, a%%o#din, to a 2007 2uman /i,hts Cat%h #e!o#t titled
>"ndis%#iminate Ii#e?:
4107 shells ae e3temel! deadl! $ea%ons. The e3%ected lethal
adius fo a 1(( mm high e3%losi)e %o5ectile is e%otedl!
bet$een (0 and 1(0 metes and the e3%ected casualt! adius is
bet$een 100 and 300 metes. *+, [*saeli am!] o.cials ha)e said
that the eo adius fo a 1(( mm shell is usuall! 6( metes.
Theefoe# if shells ae lobbed as close as 100 metes to %o%ulated
aeas# as allo$ed unde an *+, %olic! 7 o e)en close# as
sometimes ha%%ened# it geatl! inceases the likelihood of ci)ilian
casualties.
Chen the shells e!lode they %an s!#ead about 2,000 '#a,ments in all
di#e%tions- Sometimes they 'ail to e!lode and >be%ome !otentially
e!losi6e duds,? a%%o#din, to 2uman /i,hts Cat%h-
"s#ael 3ilita#y "ndust#ies, a state-o$ned a#ms !#odu%e# and e!o#te#,
!#odu%es the 3107 shell, althou,h "s#ael has also im!o#ted 1:: mm shells
'#om the 9nited States,? 2uman /i,hts Cat%h says-
Chat this means in !#a%ti%e is that "s#aeli shellin, is indis%#iminate be%ause
an >e##o# #adius? o' 2: mete#s in a densely !o!ulated +a)a nei,hbo#hood
like ShuAaiya is as ,ood as &#in, #andomly into !eo!le4s houses-
Iou# times as many shells as du#in, >Jast Kead?
And this is %o##obo#ated '#om "s#aeli sou#%es, in !a#ti%ula# a 1: Au,ust
a#ti%le in 2aa#et) by +ili +ohen, $hi%h e!lains that >a#tille#y shells a#e
%onside#ed Lstatisti%al shootin,,4 $hi%h does not enable hittin, ta#,ets
a%%u#ately-?
Johen adds: >1:: mm shells a#e ,ene#ally shot to$a#d an a#ea :0 by :0
mete#sM hittin, any$he#e $ithin this a#ea is %onside#ed by !#o'essionals
hittin, the ta#,et- "n densely %onst#u%ted a#eas like the +a)a St#i!, su%h an
a#ea %ould in%lude mo#e than &6e buildin,s-?
Johen also %on&#ms the un!#e%edented amount o' &#e!o$e# "s#ael di#e%ted
at +a)a .em!hasis added1:
The *+, em%lo!ed an e3ce%tional amount of fe%o$e duing
combat in the Gaza &ti%# including in densel! built aeas.
Accoding to %atial data %o)ided b! the am! on 68 9ul!# afte
thee $eeks of combat :of $hich 16 da!s $ee in the couse of
gound o%eation; a%%o3imatel! 30#000 shells had been shot b!
that time. The gound o%eation continued fo moe than one
additional $eek# so $e can estimate that the fnal numbe of shells
shot is signifcantl! highe.
<! com%aison# duing the 6008 =ast >ead o%eation# the *+, shot
about ?#000 atille! shells. @f that numbe# some half :A#000;
$ee smoke shells. About one thousand shells $ee illuminating
shells and the emainde# some 3#000# $ee e3%losi)e shells.
+uing that o%eation the foces had been instucted to efain
fom shooting into constucted aeas# e3cluding e3ce%tional cases#
$hee fe%o$e $as needed to escue foces. 4ost of the shooting
at that time $as done into o%en s%aces# o the magins aound the
constucted aea. An estimate can be made that the total numbe
of atille! shells shot duing Botecti)e Cdge is moe than fou
times as high as duing =ast >ead.
Johen e!lains that on 20 8uly alone, >some =00 e!losi6e a#tille#y shells
$e#e shot $ithin one hou#? into the easte#n +a)a Jity nei,hbo#hood o'
ShuAaiya-
Su%h a ba##a,e o' indis%#iminate &#e %an only ha6e the eHe%t it did: massi6e
dest#u%tion and do)ens o' dead %i6ilians-
on Twitter
Ma !lumenthal N3a@lumenthal
Iollo$
The outski#ts o' /a'ah, +a)a today - $he#e "s#aeli 'o#%es in6oked the
2annibal Gi#e%ti6e
2:31 P3 - 18 Au, 2014
Chen su%h immense and ina%%u#ate &#e!o$e# is used as !a#t o' the
>2annibal Gi#e%ti6e? ; a !#o%edu#e meant to ostensibly th$a#t the %a!tu#e
o' soldie#s ; the#e %an only be one #eal intent: to kill the soldie# and
e6e#yone else in his 6i%inity-
"n this 6ideo, "s#aeli soldie#s and mysti%s %an be seen dan%in, and sin,in,
to bless 3107 a#tille#y shells be'o#e they a#e &#ed into +a)a:

"s#aeli soldie#s and membe#s o' the @#eslaue# 2assidi% se%t dan%e and bless
a#tille#y shells
Tank shells desi,ned to kill o6e# $ide a#ea
Tank ,uns a#e Aust anothe# 'o#m o' >statisti%al shootin,,? so it %an be
e!e%ted that many o' the estimated 23,400 tank shells &#ed at +a)a a#e
also #es!onsible 'o# la#,e numbe#s o' %i6ilian deaths, inAu#ies and
dest#u%tion e6en $he#e "s#ael %laims it $as not s!e%i&%ally ta#,etin,
homes, s%hools, hos!itals and mos5ues-
@ut "s#ael has ,one to ,#eat len,ths to make its tank shells e6en mo#e
indis%#iminate and lethal-
Ce kno$ '#om 2aa#et) that the "s#aeli a#my $as usin, (alanit and 2at)a6
ty!e tank shells in the atta%k on +a)a- @oth $e#e >used on a massi6e s%ale
'o# the &#st time in F!e#ation P#ote%ti6e 0d,e? ; the name "s#ael has ,i6en
its %u##ent assault on +a)a-
The (alanit, manu'a%tu#ed by "s#ael 3ilita#y "ndust#ies, >%an e!lode in
midai# o6e# te##o#ists hidin, behind %o6e# o# alte#nati6ely b#ea%h %on%#ete
$alls and e!lode inside buildin,s,?The 8e#usalem Post #e!o#ted in 2011-
Io# >te##o#ists? one %an, o' %ou#se, sim!ly substitute the $o#d >humans,?
and 'o# >%o6e#? one %an substitute $o#ds like >house,? >s%hool,? o#
>mos5ue-?
"s#ael is so !#oud o' this shell that it $on >"s#ael4s !#esti,ious Ge'ense P#i)e
'o# 2011,? thePost says-
Fne o' the 'eatu#es o' the (alanit tank shell is !#e%isely that it kills !eo!le
o6e# a 6e#y $ide a#ea, as the "s#aeli a#my4s >Kt--Jol- 3-? told the Post: >9ntil
no$, a tank $ould &#e t#aditional shells at %ells $hi%h $ould ha6e to be
et#emely a%%u#ate, but no$ due to the dis!e#sion, it %an hit %ells e6en i'
the shell does not detonate ea%tly o6e# $he#e they a#e-?
Ganny Pe#et), the head o' the team that de6elo!ed the shell, >e!lained
that the need 'o# the (alanit %ame u! be%ause o' the %han,e in the ty!e o'
$a#'a#e "s#ael 'a%ed on the mode#n battle&eld, !a#ti%ula#ly asymmet#i%
%onDi%ts-?
Ce a#e no lon,e# s!eakin, about Aust tanks a,ainst tanks, but you need to
be able to hit !eo!le inside buildin,s and !eo!le outside $he#e they
a#e a!!#oimately hidin,,? he told the Post- >The (alanit %an do both o'
these missions $ith the same shell-?
The 2at)a6 is anothe# ty!e o' tank shell that >!enet#ates the ta#,et, su%h
as a buildin,, to e!lode inside-?
3o#ta# shells
"t is un%lea# i' the numbe# o' mo#ta# shells "s#ael &#ed is in%luded in the
o6e#all estimate 'o# a#tille#y ; " $as unable to &nd a se!a#ate estimate 'o#
mo#ta#s- A mo#ta# is a ty!e o' a#tille#y-
"t is ty!i%ally mu%h sho#te# #an,e than, say, a tank ,un o# a 1:: mm
a#tille#y !ie%e, and the e!losi6e shell is lobbed on a hi,h t#aAe%to#y- "t is
de&nitely anothe# 'o#m o' >statisti%al shootin,? but
,ene#ally 'a# less a%%u#ate than othe# $ea!ons-
*et this lethal and indis%#iminate $ea!on $as used on a hu,e s%ale- This
6ideo, o#i,inally b#oad%ast on "s#aeli tele6ision, in a #e!o#t on 'emale
,unne#s, sho$s one a#tille#y unit made u! o' 'ou# 6ehi%le-mounted la#,e
%alibe# mo#ta#s &#in, shells to$a#ds +a)a at a #e,ula# #hythm o' 'ou# shells
e6e#y t$o minutes-
At &#st the soldie#s a#e &#in, smoke shells but then they a#e asked to use
e!losi6es, sendin, >#es%uin, &#e? to$a#ds >t$o ta#,ets nea# a built u!
a#ea-?


"emale #oldiers o$ the Most Moral %rm& ' #hell (aza )*er& 2
Minutes+
The 'emale ,unne#s %an be seen s%#a$lin, bi#thday ,#eetin,s to '#iends and
su%h messa,es as >To Adi, +ood lu%k $ith the ne$ AobO? on the mo#ta#
shells be'o#e blastin, them into +a)a-
"n bet$een 6olleys, the ,unne#s take b#eaks to eat meals o' sushi-
@ombs d#o!!ed '#om the ai#
"s#aeli milita#y sou#%es ha6e been less 'o#th%omin, about the numbe# o'
bombs d#o!!ed '#om the ai#, but the#e ha6e been some im!o#tant %lues-
Fn 10 8uly, the 'ou#th day o' "s#ael4s %u##ent assault on +a)a, The 8e#usalem
Post#e!o#ted, %itin, a >senio# milita#y sou#%e?:
Aound ?00 tons of e3%losi)es ha)e been fed b! ai foce 5ets on
tagets this $eek# the souce said. The *A,"s [*sael Ai ,oce]
cuent ate of fe is double that of @%eation Billa of +efense#
launched in 6016 to sto% Damas ocket fe fom Gaza. 0Ee"ll see
this tend inceasing# as %at of ou fe%o$e %olic!#1 he said.
At that #ate ; not a%%ountin, 'o# the !#omised in%#ease ; the tonna,e o'
bombs %ould easily e%eed si thousand tons o6e# the %ou#se o' a month-
And the#e $as almost %e#tainly an in%#ease- Fn 20 8uly in ShuAaiya, 'o#
eam!le, a%%o#din, to 2aa#et), "s#aeli $a#!lanes %a##ied out >a b#oad ae#ial
atta%k that in%luded about 100 one-ton bombs-? That $as only in one
lo%ationM "s#aeli $a#!lanes $e#e bombin, all o6e# +a)a as $ell-
+a)a #esidents and Aou#nalists %onsistently #e!o#ted that the bombin, ,ot
hea6ie# as "s#ael4s %am!ai,n !#o,#essed-
"s#ael uses a b#oad #an,e o' ai#-d#o!!ed munitions, many, i' not most, 9S-
made-
"t $ould take maAo# on-the-,#ound #esea#%h to identi'y them all, althou,h
2a)em Abu 3u#ad and his team identi&ed some o' the ty!es: the one-
ton 3(84 bombs that ha6e a dest#u%ti6e #adius o' 300 mete#s and +@9
lase#-,uided bombs, $hi%h ha6e been !hoto,#a!hed Aust be'o#e they st#u%k
buildin,s in +a)a-
8ou#nalist 3a @lumenthal, %u##ently in +a)a, !hoto,#a!hed this tail &n o'
a 9S-made 3(82 :00-!ound bomb-
on Twitter
Ma !lumenthal N3a@lumenthal
Iollo$
/emnants o' a 3a#k 82 un,uided missile, made in 9SA by +ene#al
Gynami%s, sold to "s#ael to kill 'a#me#s in /a'ah:
2:4: P3 - 18 Au, 2014
A%%ountability
These details o' "s#ael4s on,oin, bomba#dment o' +a)a a#e im!o#tant: i'
human #i,hts #esea#%he#s %an %olle%t the e6iden%e o' the $ea!ons and
e5ui!ment used in "s#aeli $a# %#imes and %#imes a,ainst humanity, it %an
hel! to make a%%ountable not Aust those $ho o#de#ed the $ea!ons &#ed but
also those $ho su!!lied them-
The sta,,e#in, amount o' $ea!ons "s#ael has used to inDi%t so mu%h
indis%#iminate ha#m unde#s%o#es the u#,en%y o' %alls 'o# an a#ms emba#,o
on "s#ael- "t also hi,hli,hts that "s#ael, an unde%la#ed !ossesso# o' nu%lea#
$ea!ons, must u#,ently be b#ou,ht unde# inte#national %ont#ol and
monito#in,-
@ut it is im!o#tant not to lose si,ht o' the bi, !i%tu#e: no %laim o' >sel'-
de'ense? %ould e6e# Austi'y d#o!!in, this mu%h e!losi6es so
indis%#iminately and so delibe#ately on a %a!ti6e %i6ilian !o!ulation-
Those $ho Austi'y it as >sel'-de'ense? a#e %om!li%it in mass mu#de#-
"t is also a mistake to look 'o# a >milita#y? e!lanation 'o# "s#ael4s a%tions-
This massa%#e, this d#o!!in, o' $hat !lausibly a!!#oimates to a >small?
atomi% bomb on +a)a, %an only be e!lained in !oliti%al te#ms- As " ha6e
a#,ued !#e6iously, it is the !#i%e o' maintainin, a >8e$ish state? in
Palestine-
Cith thanks to Gena Shun#a 'o# assistan%e $ith #esea#%h and t#anslation-