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<h1 class="gmail-">Israeli pilots dumped 'unused bombs' over
Gaza during Iran strikes: Report</h1>
<p class="gmail-">Israeli officials described the move as a
resource-saving measure, but the result was intensified
bombing of Gaza by jets returning from unrelated missions</p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(84,88,94)">JUL 2, 2025 -<font
size="1"> </font></span><font size="1"><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-pilots-dumped-unused-bombs-over-gaza-during-iran-strikes-report"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-pilots-dumped-unused-bombs-over-gaza-during-iran-strikes-report</a></font></p>
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<p><span style="background-color:transparent">Israeli
fighter pilots returning from air defense missions
during the 12-day </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-and-israel-at-war"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="background-color:transparent">war with Iran</span></a><span
style="background-color:transparent"> were routinely
authorized to unload their leftover munitions on the
Gaza Strip, according to a 2 July report by <i>Maariv</i>. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">The move,
initially a pilot-led initiative to \u201cassist\u201d 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.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">After
completing their Iran-related missions, pilots
contacted Gaza operation control rooms and offered
to drop remaining bombs on designated targets in the
enclave.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">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 \u201cHamas targets\u201d on
their return.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">Military
officials described the program as a \u201cforce
multiplier\u201d that allowed the air force to expand
bombing raids in Gaza without additional resources.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">\u201cInstead
of bouncing planes off the ground for an attack
policy, planes that were already in the air carried
out the missions,\u201d an Israeli Air Force source told
<i>Maariv</i>. \u201cIt saved a great deal of resources
and increased the Air Force\u2019s capabilities.\u201d</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">The result
was what the report describes as \u201cwaves of powerful
air strikes\u201d 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.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">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. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:transparent">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.</span></p>
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