Israel Deploys M113 APC Bombs in Gaza

In the weeks leading up to the Gaza ceasefire on October 10, Israel extensively deployed M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers, repurposed to carry 1 to 3 tons of explosives, in Gaza City. These vehicles, along with airstrikes and bulldozers, leveled vast areas, destroying approximately 650 buildings in districts like Sabra and Tel-al-Hawa. This tactic was adopted partly due to the United States pausing deliveries of Mark-84 bombs and Caterpillar Inc. D9 bulldozers over concerns about their use in residential areas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified these demolitions by claiming Hamas had booby-trapped buildings, a claim Hamas denies, asserting Israel's aim is large-scale displacement. International law scholars and the United Nations human rights office have raised concerns that such widespread destruction in dense urban areas may violate humanitarian law, potentially constituting war crimes if not militarily necessary. Companies like FMC Corporation and BAE Systems, associated with the M113, have either not commented or clarified their indirect involvement.