MK-84 Specifications, 1 Ton Bomb That Destroyed Gaza

JAKARTA – Israel has mainstay weapon razed Gaza with 1-ton MK-84 bombs. Three MK-84 bombs dropped by Israeli warplanes on tents refugees in southern Gaza left three large craters and raised questions about the use of such large munitions in densely populated areas.

Tala Herzallah (22), a woman from Gaza, described to Al Jazeera as reported on Saturday (14/9/2024) how she and her family were sleeping about 200 meters from the location when suddenly everything changed drastically.

The extensive damage caused by the bomb made him realize that the bomb was intended for large buildings, not tents.

The US-made MK-84 bomb was most likely used by Israel in the attack, based on the size of the crater and footage of shrapnel from the camp. The MK-84 is one of the heaviest munitions the US provides to Israel.

The weapon was temporarily banned by the US in May over concerns it could be used against Rafah in southern Gaza. However, Israel has reportedly used it extensively in Gaza.

The explosion of the MK-84 created a pressure wave so powerful. In addition to destroying buildings, it also destroyed life within a radius of 365 meters. According to the UN, this explosion can tear lungs, sever limbs, and damage sinus cavities up to hundreds of meters from the point of explosion. The crater left by the MK-84 is about 15.5 meters wide and 11 meters deep, consistent with the crater found in al-Mawasi.

There is no exact data on the number of people in the refugee camps, but Sanad estimates there are about 60 tents in the area hit by the attack. Previously, it was reported that the tents were extremely crowded, with more than 20 people crammed into one tent to shelter from the ongoing war.

Why are so many people in al-Mawasi? Al-Mawasi was designated a humanitarian safe zone by Israel in October last year, and since then thousands of people have fled or been ordered by the Israeli army to leave, despite the dire conditions there.

(msf)