Israeli use of 230kg bomb on Gaza café seen as further war crime evidence
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An Israeli airstrike on a crowded beachfront cafe in Gaza City has killed between 24 and 36 people, as evidence suggests the military used a 500lb (230kg) bomb in the attack, prompting legal experts to warn that the strike may constitute a war crime.
The al-Baqa cafe, a family-run establishment known locally for its relaxed atmosphere and sea views, was hit on Monday despite being located in an area not designated for evacuation by the Israeli military, The Guardian reported.
Ordnance specialists who examined fragments recovered from the site identified parts of an MK-82 bomb, a US-manufactured general-purpose munition widely used in past conflicts, and said the large crater left at the scene was consistent with the impact of such a weapon.
While the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the incident is under review and claimed precautionary steps were taken before the strike, legal analysts argue that the use of a heavy bomb in a clearly populated civilian setting raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law.
Witness accounts and medical reports indicate that the blast resulted in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries, including children, elderly people, and a number of artists and filmmakers, with several more wounded.
Analysts in international law said that attacks which result in incidental civilian deaths must be proportionate to the military advantage gained, and warned that only targets of the highest strategic value could possibly justify such casualties.
Experts noted that the structure of the cafe, with an open upper deck and easily visible approaches, would have been clearly observable through aerial surveillance, and said this made it implausible that the military was unaware of the presence of large numbers of civilians at the time of the strike.
While Israel possesses a wide array of smaller, precision-guided weapons and has used them in other operations, the decision to deploy a powerful general-purpose bomb in this case has been criticised by legal and military observers.
