What are cluster bombs, reportedly fired by Iran on Israel

Cluster bombs are part of cluster munitions that consists of a hollow shell that is dropped from the air or fired from the ground. It breaks open in mid-air and releases smaller bombs, or submunitions, that can number in the hundreds and reach areas as wide as several football fields.

Cluster munition scatter smaller bombs in large areas, some of which may not explode, posing deadly risks to civilians long after the fighting ends. As some of the cluster bomb may remain unexploded, they can kill or maim civilians and unintended targets long after a conflict has ended, and are costly to locate and remove.

According to the International Committee of Red Cross, cluster munitions were first used in World War II and a large amount of stockpiled cluster munitions were designed during the cold war. Their main purpose was to destroy multiple military targets dispersed over a wide area, such as tanks or to kill or injure soldiers.