Report summary: A coalition of rights groups alleges that Nitro-Chem, a Polish state-linked explosives maker, supplied TNT used in Mk 80-series bombs and BLU-109 penetrators that have been used in Israel's campaign in Gaza. The authors trace Polish-made TNT into US-manufactured munitions, note contracts worth up to $310 million, and cite survivor testimony and munition fragments consistent with those weapons. The report highlights legal concerns raised by UN bodies and significant environmental damage in both Gaza and Poland.
Report Accuses Polish State-Linked Firm of Supplying TNT Found in Bombs Used in Gaza
Report summary: A coalition of rights groups alleges that Nitro-Chem, a Polish state-linked explosives maker, supplied TNT used in Mk 80-series bombs and BLU-109 penetrators that have been used in Israel's campaign in Gaza. The authors trace Polish-made TNT into US-manufactured munitions, note contracts worth up to $310 million, and cite survivor testimony and munition fragments consistent with those weapons. The report highlights legal concerns raised by UN bodies and significant environmental damage in both Gaza and Poland.
11:38 PM, 11/18/2025Conflict
Allegations that Nitro-Chem Supplied TNT for Munitions Used in Gaza
A coalition of pro-Palestinian organisations has published a report alleging that Nitro-Chem, a Polish state-linked explosives manufacturer, supplied trinitrotoluene (TNT) that was incorporated into munitions used by Israel in Gaza. The analysis, released by People’s Embargo for Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Shadow World Investigations and Movement Research Unit, traces TNT from Nitro-Chem into US-manufactured general-purpose Mk 80-series bombs and the BLU-109 penetrator.
Key findings and evidence
The report states that Poland is the only major TNT producer in the EU and NATO and that roughly 90 percent of the TNT imported by the United States comes from Poland. The authors say they traced supplies using company records, US government procurement databases and information provided by manufacturers, including General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.
According to the report, Nitro-Chem has supplied TNT to US weapons manufacturers for use in shells, bombs and grenades exported to Israel, and has also sold explosives directly to Israel. The authors note existing contracts including an April 2024 deal to supply TNT for Mk 80-series bombs and a later contract reported in April 2025 worth about $310 million to deliver 18,000 tonnes of TNT between 2027 and 2029.
Legal and human impact
The report is published against a backdrop of international concern: UN experts and other bodies have warned that some actions in Gaza may meet the legal threshold for genocide or other grave violations of international humanitarian law. The International Court of Justice in January 2024 ordered provisional measures and recognised genocide as a plausible risk, and the report notes Nitro-Chem continued dealings with US and Israeli partners after that ruling.
Video and munition fragments recovered in Gaza have included unexploded Mk 84 bombs from the Mk 80 family, with markings linking them to General Dynamics. Human rights groups and UN officials have warned that the use of unguided Mk 80-series bombs in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes. Amnesty International and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have described particular strikes as unlawful.
Survivor testimony and environmental damage
To illustrate civilian harm, the report includes testimony from a Gaza survivor identified only as Mahmoud, who says an explosion destroyed his family home, killed 13 relatives and traumatised survivors. Analysts who reviewed footage and fragments said the shrapnel and damage were consistent with Mk 80-series ordnance. Al Jazeera, which published the survivor account, said it withheld identifying details to reduce risk of reprisal.
The report also highlights environmental and public health concerns. TNT is classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a possible carcinogen and poses serious hazards in manufacture and disposal. Poland's Supreme Audit Office has found Nitro-Chem's TNT production contributed to pollution of the Vistula river, and Polish media have reported allegations of illegal waste dumping. In Gaza, the United Nations Environment Programme estimates severe environmental degradation after two years of conflict, including widespread destruction of buildings, contamination of soil and water, and roughly 61 million tonnes of debris.
Responses and next steps
Authors of the report and campaigners call on Poland to halt TNT shipments linked to the conflict. Nadya Tannous of the Palestinian Youth Movement is quoted as saying the findings implicate Nitro-Chem and the Polish government as critical links in the supply chain that facilitates violence in Gaza. Al Jazeera reported it had contacted Nitro-Chem and Polish government representatives for comment. General Dynamics has been reported to source TNT from Nitro-Chem for Mk 80 production since at least 2016.
Context note: The report contains allegations based on documentary traces and testimony. Allegations have been made public by the named campaign groups and reported by media outlets; those accused have been approached for comment.