On 13 July 2024, 14-year-old Tala Mahmoud was waiting in a food distribution line in the Israel-designated “safe zone” of al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, when Israeli warplanes dropped several 2,000-pound bombs on the area.
Her mother, Naglaa recounted the horrors she witnessed. “I found pieces of my daughter’s body on a tree,” she told The Electronic Intifada. “I started screaming in terror.”
At least 90 Palestinians were killed in the al-Mawasi attack, and an additional 300 injured.
The day after the massacre, Yoav Gallant, then Israel’s defense minister, visited the Nevatim air base in southern Israel to personally thank the pilots involved in the attack. The Israeli military confirmed in written response to the Danish group Danwatch and newspaper Dagblabet Information that F-35 fighter jets had been used in the strike.
For the past 20 months, Israel has relied on its air force to carry out its genocidal bombardment campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. This air force, in turn, depends on a global supply chain that is responsible for delivering a steady stream of new munitions and fighter jets to Israel, as well as providing the spare parts needed to maintain its current fleet.
The F-35, a fifth generation stealth fighter jet, is advertised as one the most expensive and advanced aerial combat machines in the world today. For the Israeli defense establishment, the F-35 is the “crown jewel” of military air superiority, and symbolizes the strength of US-Israeli security cooperation.
Israel is the only country within the F-35 program with its own unique version of the fighter jet, the F-35I Adir. Using its fleet of F-35s, in addition to its other fighter jets, the Israeli air force has carried out an unprecedented number of air strikes in Gaza, and last month, in Iran.
Israel claimed that the airstrike on al-Mawasi in July 2024, carried out by F-35s, had killed Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.
A recent report released by the Palestinian Youth Movement sheds new light on the extent of global complicity with the F-35 fighter jet program. The report identifies the Danish corporation Maersk, one of the largest shipping and logistics companies in the world, as playing a central role in the manufacturing and maintenance of F-35 jets, including those destined for Israel. (more...)
The shipping company Israel depends on for its killer jets
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