What are MK-84 bombs Israel used in Gaza’s al Mawasi massacre?

In a deadly airstrike on Gaza’s Khan Younis, the Israeli military deployed United States-supplied MK-84 bombs, burying families alive and killing at least 40 Palestinians and injuring over 60.

The attack targeted a tent camp in Al Mawasi, a designated “humanitarian zone” for displaced civilians early Tuesday morning.

According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, three MK-84 bombs were dropped while civilians slept, creating craters as deep as nine meters (30 feet).

So, what are MK-84 bombs?

A lethal history

The MK-84 is a 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb notorious for its destructive power.

The US first used the bomb during the Vietnam War. It contains over 400 kilograms of explosives and creates a supersonic pressure wave upon detonation.

The pressure wave is so powerful that it can bring down buildings and cause fatal injuries within a 350-meter radius. The blast can rupture lungs, tear limbs apart, and burst sinus cavities, according to the United Nations.

Despite its lethality and the damage it can cause in densely populated areas, the US dropped the bomb during military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Israel's use of the MK-84 in civilian areas is not without precedent.

In 2021, during an 11-day offensive in Gaza, remnants of MK-84 bombs were found at the sites of many of the 2,750 airstrikes carried out by Israeli forces, according to the Gaza Interior Ministry’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.

The UN’s independent commission on the 2014 war in Gaza had specifically warned against the use of MK-84 bombs in populated areas, cautioning that such strikes could constitute indiscriminate attacks and violate international law.

Despite these warnings, Israel has continued to use the MK-84 in civilian-heavy areas, even though the Israeli Air Force possesses more modern bombs designed to reduce civilian casualties.

Calls for accountability

Israil’s latest massacre in Gaza has intensified calls for accountability as Gaza’s civil defence teams have reported widespread devastation, with entire families buried under layers of sand.

Human Rights Watch and other rights organisations have stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to war crimes.

This latest incident also places renewed scrutiny on the role of the United States in supplying these lethal bombs. Between 2023 and 2024, the US transferred over 14,000 MK-84 bombs to Israel, according to the reports, raising questions about its complicity in the ongoing war.

As the civilian death toll continues to rise, humanitarian organisations are calling for an international investigation into Israel’s use of US-supplied bombs in Gaza's densely populated areas, demanding accountability for indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks.