Israel used ‘US-made weapons’ in Rafah massacre

Sunday’s Israeli air strike on an overcrowded group of tents in the southern Gaza Strip city killed at least 45 people and injured hundreds.

A CNN analysis of the deadly strike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah has found that US-made munitions were used in the attack.

Footage of the aftermath, including images of a headless child, caused shockwaves across the world, sparking condemnation even by European states allied to Israel.

Video shows chaotic scenes, with panicked survivors running for safety amid the charred bodies, as rescuers and medics try to pull them from the wreckage. It also contains clues as to the weaponry used in the attack, which was analysed by CNN teams.

The US news network first matched details shown in the footage, such as the location signs strewn in the wreckage of the attack, to  known details about where it took place, namely the Kuwait Peace Camp.

After geolocating the footage, explosive weapons experts confirmed that remnants of the American-manufactured GBU-39 diameter bomb (SDB) were present.

The GBU-39 is a high-precision bomb “designed to attack strategically important point targets”, explosive weapons expert Chris Cobb-Smith told CNN.