Israel used "the second largest bomb in its military arsenal" during the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, the New York Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the Israeli strike came with “at least two bombs weighing more than 900 kilograms, which can be used to target underground infrastructure.”

But the use of this type of bomb in a densely populated area such as Jabalia prompted the newspaper to ask the question whether “Israel’s intended targets justify the number of civilian deaths and the destruction caused by its strikes.”

Health officials in the Gaza Strip said, "Dozens of civilians were killed and hundreds injured as a result of this Israeli raid on Tuesday."

On the other hand, Israel said that it was "targeting a senior Hamas leader, as well as the network of underground tunnels that the armed group uses to hide weapons and fighters."

The Israeli army refused to comment to the New York Times on the number and type of weapons it used in the Jabalia attack.

The two craters caused by the explosion are “about 40 feet” wide, dimensions that are “compatible with the explosions that this type of weapon might produce in light sandy soil,” according to a technical study conducted by the munitions research company “Armament” in 2016.

“The bombs may have had a delay fuze, which delays detonation until milliseconds after penetrating a roof or building, so that the destructive force of the explosion reaches a greater depth,” said Mark Garlasco, one of the authors of that study.

In a related context, “The US administration asked Israel for an explanation for the air strike that targeted the Jabalia camp,” according to Politico newspaper.

According to an American official who requested anonymity, the administration of US President Joe Biden “urged Israel to carry out precise strikes, to avoid harming civilians.”

The official said: “The United States requested clarification regarding (the attack) on Jabalia,” adding that the conversation was in the context of “demanding Israel to make more efforts to avoid civilian casualties.”

A senior White House official spoke to reporters on Friday, requesting anonymity, saying, “The Israelis informed us that the collapse of residential buildings in the Jabalia camp occurred as a result of the bombing of a network of trenches housing part of a Hamas battalion.”

For his part, a senior US Department of Defense official said, “In private conversations, Pentagon officials asked the Israeli army to think about their operations and take the lives of innocent civilians into account.”

On the other hand, an Israeli official, whose identity was not revealed by Politico, said, “Pentagon officials specifically asked the Israeli army about the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp, north of Gaza,” adding that Israel “is making a lot of effort to ensure that civilians are kept out of harm’s way.”

On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters: “When we provide military assistance to our partners, including Israel... we make clear that this support must be used in accordance with international law, to include the law of war and obligations related to the protection of civilians.”

The war broke out on October 7 after the Hamas movement, which is listed as a terrorist organization, launched an unprecedented attack in the history of Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, according to the Israeli authorities.

Israel responds with continuous air strikes and a ground incursion by its forces into the Palestinian Strip, which is inhabited by 2.3 million people, causing the death of more than 9,000 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, according to the latest statistics from the health authorities in Gaza.

According to the newspaper, the Israeli strike came with “at least two bombs weighing more than 900 kilograms, which can be used to target underground infrastructure.”

But the use of this type of bomb in a densely populated area such as Jabalia prompted the newspaper to ask the question whether “Israel’s intended targets justify the number of civilian deaths and the destruction caused by its strikes.”

Health officials in the Gaza Strip said, "Dozens of civilians were killed and hundreds injured as a result of this Israeli raid on Tuesday."

On the other hand, Israel said that it was "targeting a senior Hamas leader, as well as the network of underground tunnels that the armed group uses to hide weapons and fighters."

The Israeli army refused to comment to the New York Times on the number and type of weapons it used in the Jabalia attack.

The two craters caused by the explosion are “about 40 feet” wide, dimensions that are “compatible with the explosions that this type of weapon might produce in light sandy soil,” according to a technical study conducted by the munitions research company “Armament” in 2016.

“The bombs may have had a delay fuze, which delays detonation until milliseconds after penetrating a roof or building, so that the destructive force of the explosion reaches a greater depth,” said Mark Garlasco, one of the authors of that study.

In a related context, “The US administration asked Israel for an explanation for the air strike that targeted the Jabalia camp,” according to Politico newspaper.

According to an American official who requested anonymity, the administration of US President Joe Biden “urged Israel to carry out precise strikes, to avoid harming civilians.”

The official said: “The United States requested clarification regarding (the attack) on Jabalia,” adding that the conversation was in the context of “demanding Israel to make more efforts to avoid civilian casualties.”

For his part, a senior US Department of Defense official said, “In private conversations, Pentagon officials asked the Israeli army to think about their operations and take the lives of innocent civilians into account.”

On the other hand, an Israeli official, whose identity was not revealed by Politico, said, “Pentagon officials specifically asked the Israeli army about the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp, north of Gaza,” adding that Israel “is making a lot of effort to ensure that civilians are kept out of harm’s way.”

On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters: “When we provide military assistance to our partners, including Israel... we make clear that this support must be used in accordance with international law, to include the law of war and obligations related to the protection of civilians.”

The war broke out on October 7 after the Hamas movement, which is listed as a terrorist organization, launched an unprecedented attack in the history of Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, according to the Israeli authorities.

Israel responds with continuous air strikes and a ground incursion by its forces into the Palestinian Strip, which is inhabited by 2.3 million people, causing the death of more than 9,000 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, according to the latest statistics from the health authorities in Gaza.

The "Politico" report came at a time when US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, stressed in a press conference the need for Israel to give "the greatest consideration to protecting civilians, including journalists."

Blinken, who is on his second tour in the Middle East since the outbreak of war, urged Israel to "protect civilians caught in the crossfire and deliver aid to those who urgently need it."

He continued: "When I see a Palestinian boy or girl being pulled out of the rubble of a collapsed building, it pains me as much as seeing a child in Israel or anywhere else in this situation."