Al Jazeera: Nearly 3,000 Palestinians Killed by Thermobaric Weapons in Gaza
A recent investigation by Al Jazeera reveals that nearly three thousand Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have died as a result of Israel’s use of thermobaric or fuel-air explosives. These weapons, known internationally for their high destructive power, are banned globally. The report is based on evidence collected by civil defense teams in Gaza.
According to the investigation, the deaths of 2,842 Palestinians have been documented as systematically linked to the use of thermobaric weapons. These weapons, also known as vacuum or air bombs, can generate heat exceeding 3,500 degrees Celsius; researchers say this intense heat often leaves no identifiable remains of the victims.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, emphasized that the findings are not based on general estimates but on field investigations and precise forensic assessments. He explained that when the number of people present in a targeted home does not match the number of bodies found, and only biological traces such as blood stains or small tissue fragments remain, the missing individuals are considered to have been “vaporized.” These statements were reposted by the platform “Common Dreams.”
The report details that unlike conventional bombs, thermobaric weapons first disperse a cloud of fuel over the target area and then ignite it, creating a highly intense fireball and a strong pressure wave. Researchers note that these bombs commonly use a compound called “tritonal,” composed of 80% TNT and 20% aluminum powder, which is present in some US-made weapons, including the Mark 84 air bomb.
Dr. Munir Al-Barash, Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that the heat intensity from these weapons is sufficient to instantly boil body fluids and vaporize tissues. He explained that exposure to temperatures above 3,000 degrees Celsius, combined with intense pressure and oxidation, chemically destroys human tissues immediately.
The use of such weapons in Gaza has been previously reported. Last year, Omar Hammad, a pharmacist residing in Gaza, claimed via a video on social media to have recorded the explosion of a thermobaric bomb in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza.
Additionally, Yasmin Mahnawi, a Gaza resident, said her son Saad was killed in a 2024 airstrike on a school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, with no remains ever found. She described the absence of even a body to bury as the hardest part of the tragedy for her family.
Thermobaric or fuel-air explosive weapons use atmospheric oxygen to create an explosion with extremely high temperatures and intense pressure waves, raising serious human rights concerns regarding their use in densely populated residential areas.
