 Defense &
National Security |
Defense &
National Security |
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Biden administration stays mum on reports Israel used US weapons in Rafah |
The Biden administration on Wednesday refused to confirm Israel used U.S. weapons in the deadly strike over the weekend that killed dozens of displaced Palestinians at a camp in Rafah. |
© Jehad Alshrafi, Associated Press |
CNN first reported that the remains of the American produced GBU-39 small diameter bomb (SDB) were found at the scene, according to four explosive weapons experts who reviewed video shared on social media. Weapons experts and visual evidence The New York Times also reviewed reached the same conclusion that the bombs were GBU-39s, which are designed and sold in the United States. "We're not going to speak to individual payload loadouts on individual Israeli aircraft," White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday. "The [Israeli military] should speak to their conduct of this particular operation, and that would include … discussion of what was used." At least 45 people were killed and more than 240 others wounded after the Israeli military used aircraft to strike the outskirts of Rafah, causing a fire to break out. The majority of those killed were women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Kirby added that Israel has already said publicly it used precision-guided munitions with a payload of about 37 pounds, which, if true, "would certainly indicate a desire to be more deliberate and more precise in their targeting." And asked Tuesday about the munitions used in the Rafah strike, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters, "I do not know what type of munition was used in that airstrike. I'd have to refer you to the Israelis to speak to that." U.S. officials have been pushing Israel to use more precise bombs with a smaller payload, or explosion, which they say claim can reduce civilian casualties. The Israeli military has also declined to specify the type of bomb used, though an Israeli military spokesperson told The Hill the armament was "an accurate and specific type of munition that carries a low amount of explosives." Read the full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. | |
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Pop star Dua Lipa called for an immediate cease-fire in the war in Gaza again Tuesday, according to multiple reports. "Burning children alive can never be justified," Lipa said in an Instagram post Tuesday that came alongside a graphic from the group Artists4Ceasefire, according to multiple outlets. "The whole world is mobilising to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza." A recent strike by Israel … |
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| North Korea sent a fleet of balloons carrying excrement and trash into South Korea, according to multiple reports. Balloons with trash presumably sent by North Korea, hang on electric wires as South Korean army soldiers stand guard in Muju, South Korea on May 29, 2024. In another sign of tensions between the war-divided rivals, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea also has been flying large numbers of … |
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A bipartisan group of senators is demanding the Pentagon reveal military contractors’ so-called price gouging tactics that they say can cost the U.S. military billions of dollars every year in overpayments. In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Tuesday evening, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) say they are particularly concerned defense … |
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Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: |
Starting today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to the Indo-Pacific to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, meet with regional counterparts, and deliver remarks. He will also travel to Cambodia for meetings with senior officials.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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NJ man sentenced to 12 years on Jan. 6 charges |
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges arising from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, including assaulting law enforcement. Christopher Joseph Quaglin, 37, was found guilty last year on 14 charges, including 12 felonies and two misdemeanors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office … |
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Events in and around the defense world: |
The Potomac Officers Club will hold a forum on "Joint Coalition Operations in 2030," focusing on technologies needed to operate effectively with coalition partners, with Defense Department Director of Intelligence Lt. Gen. Dimitri Henry, at 8 a.m.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies will have a virtual discussion on "The Axis of Upheaval," focusing on China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, at 9:30 a.m.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will have an online talk on "Growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border, attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis against international shipping in the Red Sea, threatening global supply chains and freedom of navigation, and the danger of another direct clash between Israel and Iran," at 10 a.m.
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News we've flagged from other outlets: |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Canned hunts are great for trophies, not so much for trials. Read more |
| Blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy could bankrupt the U.S. health care system unless the price drops, according to a staff report released Wednesday … Read more |
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Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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