US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the United States is reviewing a report issued by Amnesty International, which stated that “American munitions caused the death of civilians during air strikes in Gaza.”

Miller said in his press conference in response to a question regarding the report, “We are reviewing this report, and as President (Joe Biden) and Secretary of State (Anthony Blinken) have said on multiple occasions, it is a tragedy any time a civilian is killed. We have made clear in our discussions with Israeli leaders that "We are deeply concerned about the protection of civilians in this conflict. We expect Israel to target only legitimate targets and adhere to the laws of armed conflicts. This includes taking measures to reduce the risk of harm to civilians." I've talked before about the real challenges Israel faces because Hamas uses human beings - civilians as human shields.

The organization's report, which was issued on Tuesday, stated that "fragments of American-made joint direct attack munitions" were found "in the rubble of destroyed homes in central Gaza following two raids that killed a total of 43 civilians, including 19 children."

Amnesty International, based on a new investigation, has concluded that the Israeli military used US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) in two deadly and unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip. Amnesty International found that these two air strikes were either direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects, or attacks that did not distinguish between military personnel and civilians, and calls for them to be investigated as war crimes.

The organization found distinct fragments of ammunition among the rubble of destroyed homes in central Gaza following two raids that killed a total of 43 civilians, including 19 children, 14 women and 10 men. Survivors of both raids told Amnesty International that they received no warning of an impending raid.

An Israeli air raid on October 10 on the Al-Najjar family’s home in Deir Al-Balah killed 24 people, while another raid on October 22 on the Abu Mu’iliq family’s home in the same city killed 19 people. Both homes are located south of Wadi Gaza, within the area to which the Israeli army ordered residents of northern Gaza to move on October 13.

The organization relied on examinations by weapons experts, satellite images, pictures taken of the destruction occurring at the two sites, and fragments of ammunition found among the rubble, and it is likely that “the bomb that struck the Al-Najjar family’s house weighed 2,000 pounds, which is the equivalent of a ton of explosives. As for the bomb that struck and destroyed the Abu Mu’iliq family "Her house, it likely weighed 1,000 pounds, or half a ton, at least."

“The Israeli military’s use of American-made munitions in unlawful attacks with deadly consequences for civilians should raise alarm bells for the Biden administration,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. “US-made weapons have facilitated the mass killings of entire extended families.”

According to the organization’s report, “Two families were killed in these two attacks, which constitutes further evidence that the Israeli army is responsible for the unlawful killing and wounding of civilians in its bombing of Gaza.

In the face of the unprecedented number of civilian deaths and scale of destruction in Gaza, “the United States and other governments must immediately stop transferring weapons to Israel that are likely to be used to commit or increase the risk of violations of international law.  

In light of evidence of war crimes and other violations, the United States must follow its laws and policies relating to the transfer and sale of arms, including the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy and the Civilian Casualty Incident Response Guidelines, which together are intended to prevent arms transfers that may facilitate, or contribute harm to civilians and violations of human rights or international humanitarian law, according to the report.

Amnesty International found no indication that there were any military targets at the sites of the two strikes or that people in the buildings were legitimate military targets, raising concerns that these strikes were direct attacks on civilians. In addition, even if the two raids, about which Israel has not yet provided any information, targeted military targets, the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in such densely populated areas could make these attacks indiscriminate and do not distinguish between military personnel and civilians. As such, these two attacks should be investigated as war crimes.

In both attacks, bombs from American-made joint direct attack munitions were used. Images of metal fragments from the weapons clearly show the distinct rivets and belt system indicating that they were part of the frame surrounding the bomb body of the Joint Direct Attack Ordnance. In addition, codes stamped on the plates from the two sets of fragments numbered 70P8623527 are linked to “Joint Direct Attack” munitions manufactured by the giant Boeing, and additional codes stamped on the plates indicate that the Joint Direct Attack munitions that killed members of the family Al-Najjar was manufactured in 2017, while the joint direct attack munitions that killed members of the Abu Muailiq family were manufactured in 2018.

The report says: “Amnesty International conducted interviews with six survivors and relatives of the victims of the two attacks, and also analyzed satellite images, which showed destruction at the relevant sites over a period of time consistent with witness accounts. Amnesty International sent questions about the two attacks to the Israeli army spokesman in November 21. No response had been received at the time of publication.

Amnesty International has long been calling on the UN Security Council to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in Gaza and Israel. Amnesty International also urges the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to expedite the investigation launched in 2021 into war crimes, and other crimes under international law, committed by all parties.