A new investigative report has uncovered that Israel’s prolonged aerial assault on Gaza has pushed Europe into a critical TNT shortage, after massive quantities of Polish-made explosives were diverted to support US bombs supplied to Israel. The findings were raised in the Polish parliament on Thursday, where MP Maciej Konieczny warned that Poland now has “barely a month” of TNT left for its own wartime needs because most of the country’s production has been tied to American contracts.
According to the report, Nitro-Chem, Poland’s state-owned explosives manufacturer and the only major TNT producer left in Europe, has been directing much of its output to the United States for use in MK-84 and BLU-109 bombs, two of the heaviest weapons deployed in Israel’s Gaza campaign. Rights groups say the scale of Israel’s bombardment “would not have been possible without Polish-made TNT,” linking the explosive supplies directly to mass-casualty airstrikes on Gaza’s densely populated neighborhoods.
Data presented in the investigation shows that from October 2023 to July 2024, the US transferred at least 14,000 MK-84 bombs and 8,700 MK-82 bombs to Israel, while relying on Nitro-Chem to replenish its explosive stockpiles. This diversion has left European militaries facing a severe shortage, prompting fears inside NATO and raising questions about whether Israel’s war is being prioritized over Europe’s own defense requirements.
International rights organizations cited by The Telegraph said Israel’s high-intensity bombardment has “heavily relied” on TNT and RDX supplied through Nitro-Chem, noting that the plant has previously provided explosive materials directly to Israel as well. Analysts warn that the West’s dependence on a single Polish facility, after the US, UK, and Europe shut down their own TNT factories years ago due to environmental concerns, has created a dangerous vulnerability at a time of global instability.
Nitro-Chem declined to address the allegations, saying only that it does not comment on sensitive matters and that all operations comply with international law. Meanwhile, a new $310 million US contract for TNT deliveries between 2027 and 2029 has intensified concerns that European militaries will continue to face shortages for years to come.
Rights groups are urging Polish authorities and Nitro-Chem to halt explosive transfers used in Israeli weapons, warning that the same bombs depleting Europe’s stockpiles have helped sustain the devastation in Gaza and contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
