The three bombs dropped by Israeli warplanes on the tents of displaced individuals in southern Gaza left three large craters and a myriad of questions on using such massive munitions in such a densely populated area.
Early Tuesday morning, Israeli shelling of al-Mawasi killed at the least 19 individuals and injured many extra.
Not less than 22 individuals are lacking, presumed to have been vaporized by the depth of the explosion.
Israel claimed the strikes focused Hamas militants, whereas Palestinians and support teams condemned the assault as a conflict crime.
What occurred?
Preliminary accounts of the Israeli assault have been complicated, nevertheless it quickly turned clear that Israel had attacked the camp with three massive projectiles.
Tala Herzallah, 22, described to Al Jazeera how she and her household have been sleeping about 200 metres away and: “Out of the blue, every thing turned the other way up.
“The large harm brought on by the bombs made us realise that they have been meant for the biggest buildings and never the tents constructed from the weakest supplies on the earth.”
Abu Muhammad al-Bayouk, a displaced individual dwelling close to the camp, informed Al Jazeera: “We heard the explosions. It was… greater than a missile. We discovered many wounded and martyrs and physique components scattered all over the place, together with ladies and kids.”
What did Israel use in opposition to al-Mawasi shops?
Al Jazeera’s fact-checking company Sanad has concluded that Israel might have used US-made MK-84 bombs in opposition to the camp for displaced households.
To do that, the dimensions of the craters and pictures of bomb fragments discovered within the camp have been analyzed.
The MK-84 is a 2,000-pound munition and one of many heaviest items offered to Israel by the USA.
In Might, the USA briefly suspended provides of MK-84s, involved that they could possibly be used to assault the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah. Israel proceeded to invade Rafah in Might.
Armies have a tendency to make use of the MK-84 sparingly, however Israel has reportedly used it extensively in Gaza.
The MK-84 produces a strain wave so intense that, along with destroying buildings, it additionally exterminates life inside a 365 meter (400 yard) radius.
In line with the UN, the blast can rupture lungs, tear off limbs and burst sinus cavities as much as lots of of metres away from the location of the explosion.
The craters left by MK-84 are roughly 15.5 meters vast and 11 meters deep (50 toes vast and 36 toes deep), in step with these discovered at al-Mawasi.
How many individuals have been there on the website attacked by Israel?
There are not any exact figures for the variety of individuals within the displacement tents, however Al Jazeera’s Sanad estimates there have been round 60 tents within the area attacked by Israel.
Earlier accounts communicate of huge overcrowding, with 20 or extra individuals crammed right into a tent to attempt to defend themselves from Israel’s ongoing conflict on the besieged enclave.
In line with that depend, it’s estimated that at the least 120 individuals have been sleeping on the place the place the three massive bombs fell.
Why have been there so many individuals in al-Mawasi?
Al-Mawasi had been designated a humanitarian “secure zone” by Israel in October final yr.
Since then, hundreds of displaced individuals have fled or been ordered by the Israeli military to go there.
There, regardless of what many describe as dire circumstances, many hoped to search out an opportunity for security for his or her households that was not potential anyplace else in Gaza.
For a lot of, the assurances from the Israeli military, the absence of tall buildings close by and the fantastic sand beneath, which made the potential of Israeli air strikes on suspected tunnels unlikely, gave rise to hope that at the least the camp was secure.
These hopes shortly pale. Earlier than Tuesday’s assault, Al-Mawasi had been attacked 4 occasions, however individuals stayed as a result of there was nowhere else to go.
The biggest assault occurred on July 13, killing 90 individuals and injuring at the least 300.
On the time, Israel claimed the strike focused two senior Hamas commanders, a declare Hamas dismissed.