Israel Shows off GBU-31 (Mk-84 JDAM) Bomb to Level the Gaza Region

Israel Shows off GBU-31 (Mk-84 JDAM) Bomb to Level the Gaza Region

Tel Aviv - The Israeli military, in a video circulating in cyberspace, showed off its abundant stock of air-to-ground bombs. The bomb, which is alleged to be GBU-31(V)1/B, is the Mk-84 bomb series which is equipped with a JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) guidance kit. The bomb is a hardened penetration bomb. The 2,000 pound (907.2 kg) bomb targets its target with integrated inertial guidance and a GPS receiver.

Apart from being owned by Israel, the GBU-31(V)1/B is also used by the US Air Force (USAF). A variety of aircraft can carry these bombs, including the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35 Lightning II, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and also by strategic bombers such as the B-1B Lancer, B-2A Spirit, and B -52 Stratofortress. The GBU-31 is one of the types of bombs used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in bombing the Gaza Strip.

Since the bombing of Gaza was carried out by Israel on October 8, until October 12, Israel stated that as many as 6,000 bombs weighing more than 4,000 tons had been dropped on Gaza. More than 1,400 people from the Palestinian side were declared dead as a result of the air strikes. On the Israeli side, it is said that at least 1,300 people died as a result of attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants.

Currently, Israel is reported to have carried out a total siege of Gaza. Israel cuts off the Gaza Strip's access to food, water, medicine and fuel, as its forces prepare for a possible ground offensive. Gaza residents have lost their homes due to bombing.

The UN humanitarian office said Israeli bombardment of Gaza had leveled more than 1,000 homes since Saturday, while another 560 housing units were badly damaged and uninhabitable. More than 12,600 homes suffered damage from Israeli airstrikes, the agency said, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

It said that reduced water supplies as Israel tightens its siege on the Gaza Strip has resulted in severe water shortages for more than 650,000 people, Aljazeera reported. Sewage systems have been destroyed, OCHA added, dumping foul-smelling wastewater onto the streets and posing a health hazard.

Israeli airstrikes have made cemeteries in Gaza dangerous to reach so mourning families bury their bodies in informal graves dug in empty plots.

Human rights groups say Gaza's health system, already stretched to its limits by a 16-year blockade, is on the verge of total collapse. The enclave's only power plant was forced to shut down on Wednesday after running out of fuel.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said hospitals in Gaza risked turning into morgues as seriously injured civilians, including babies, were rushed to overcrowded wards, where beds and medical supplies were running low. OCHA said all 13 hospitals in the region were only partially operational due to a shortage of fuel and critical medical supplies.

Israel on Thursday said there would be no humanitarian exceptions to its siege of Gaza until all hostages are freed by Hamas.

Witnessing Israel's massive air attacks on civilian facilities, many felt that the world looked helpless. In contrast, the US expressed support for Israel and promised to provide the military assistance needed to maintain Israel's security. This step was followed by allied countries such as England, France and Germany.

Meanwhile Russia, Iran, China, North Korea expressed their support for Palestine and condemned Israel's actions.