Israel dropped 16,000 lbs of bombs to kill one Hamas operative

The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on displaced peoples in Al-Mawasi. Photo: Haitham Imad, *EPA-EFE, Shuttershock.*

Israel has dropped 16,000 lbs of heavy ordinance—likely provided by the United States—to kill one suspected Hamas military leader, reports say.

Israel launched a massive airstrike in southern Gaza intending to eliminate Hamas operative Mohammed Deif, described as a “key figure” behind the military raid into Israel on October 7th.

Reports suggest Israel relied on eight 2,000-pound bombs in the strike, the exact tonnage supplied by the United States before they were halted due to war crime concerns by the Biden administration.

In total, the heavy-handed strike killed over 90 Palestinians and wounded over three hundred, including women and children. The strike comes as the Palestinian death toll in the conflict nears a grim 40,000 dead.

Zooming in: This strike marks Israel’s eighth attempt to kill Deif in combat. If he is dead, it would result in nearly half of all Hamas leadership killed since October 7th, according to Israeli sources.

The strike was carried out in a fenced compound in the Gazan city of Al Mawasi, a humanitarian zone.

While officials were able to confirm the death of Hamas’s Khan Younis brigade commander, Rafa Salama, the killing of Deif cannot be confirmed due to the sheer force of the blast. An assessment is still ongoing.

Both sides made statements regarding the unprecedented use of heavy ordinance in the region, with Israel justifying the strike by claiming the compound was used by “militants.” Hamas has disputed Deif’s death and says Israel is making excuses for targeting civilians.

Before and after GPS footage of the target zone, which was reduced to a crater after Israel dropped eight Vietnam-war-era munitions on a Gazan humanitarian zone. Photos: *Wall Street Journal.*

Why it’s important: The use of multiple 2,000-pound bombs against civilian infrastructure to kill one man highlights Israel’s increasing desperation as its military effort appears to flounder.

Just this week, Israel announced for the first time that it has suffered heavy tank losses due to Gazan resistance fighters. The staggering loss of ground-based fighting vehicles reportedly forced Tel Aviv to cancel an initiative aimed at sending female troops into battle in Gaza.

The ongoing war on Gaza and an unwillingness to stop what many believe is a genocide against the Palestinian people have devastated Israel’s economy. The Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported that the country is “collapsing,” with 46,000 Israeli businesses closed and virtually all tourism to the Jewish state ending since the events of October 7th.

Meanwhile, Israel’s fight to conscript the country’s ultra-orthodox—a pacifist sect of talmudic Judaism—has faced courtroom setbacks and other roadblocks, delaying much-needed manpower to the frontlines.

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