[News] Israeli pilots dumped 'unused bombs' over Gaza during Iran strikes

[Anti-Imperialist News]

  Israeli pilots dumped 'unused bombs' over Gaza during Iran strikes: Report

Israeli officials described the move as a resource-saving measure, but 
the result was intensified bombing of Gaza by jets returning from 
unrelated missions

News Desk <https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9>

JUL 2, 2025 
-https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-pilots-dumped-unused-bombs-over-gaza-during-iran-strikes-report

(Photo credit: Anadolu Agency)

Israeli fighter pilots returning from air defense missions during the 
12-day war with Iran 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-and-israel-at-war>were routinely 
authorized to unload their leftover munitions on the Gaza Strip, 
according to a 2 July report by /Maariv/.

The move, initially a pilot-led initiative to “assist” Israeli ground 
forces in Khan Yunis and northern Gaza, was quickly expanded by Air 
Force Commander Tomer Bar into a daily operational policy across all 
squadrons.

The report outlines how, during the operation, pilots assigned to 
intercept missiles and drones launched from Iran were equipped not only 
with air-to-air missiles but also with air-to-surface munitions.

After completing their Iran-related missions, pilots contacted Gaza 
operation control rooms and offered to drop remaining bombs on 
designated targets in the enclave.

Air Force officials embraced the initiative. Within hours, the ad hoc 
proposal became standard practice, with squadrons instructed to 
coordinate with ground units before landing and to strike Gaza “Hamas 
targets” on their return.

Military officials described the program as a “force multiplier” that 
allowed the air force to expand bombing raids in Gaza without additional 
resources.

“Instead of bouncing planes off the ground for an attack policy, planes 
that were already in the air carried out the missions,” an Israeli Air 
Force source told /Maariv/. “It saved a great deal of resources and 
increased the Air Force’s capabilities.”

The result was what the report describes as “waves of powerful air 
strikes” on the strip, far removed from the Iranian front. According to 
the Israeli army, dozens of fighter jets participated daily, each 
releasing surplus munitions over the besieged enclave before landing.

While presented as a resource-efficient strategy, the practice 
effectively turned Gaza into a secondary front in a war that had no 
operational connection to the territory.

The attacks were directed based on instructions from Israeli ground 
forces already operating in Khan Yunis and northern Gaza, amplifying the 
daily bombardment of areas already under siege.

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