Israeli weapon seen in rare AP photos of Beirut airstrike appears to be a powerful smart bomb

Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — In all but the blink of an eye, an Associated Press photographer’s camera captured the moments that a battleship-gray Israeli bomb plummeted toward a Beirut building before detonating to bring the tower down. The airstrike came 40 minutes after Israel warned people to evacuate two buildings in the area that it said were located near Hezbollah warehouses and assets. It was not far from where a spokesperson for the militant group had just briefed journalists. It was a rare glimpse into the use of one of the most powerful bombs in Israel’s arsenal. An examination by independent arms researchers suggests the weapon was a guided bomb, also known as a smart bomb, launched from an Israeli jet.