Al Jazeera found thermal weapons incinerated victims in Gaza, raising legal scrutiny over prohibited indiscriminate warfare methods.
Key Takeaways
- Gaza Civil Defense documented 2,842 Palestinians whose bodies left no recoverable remains after strikes.
- Investigators linked disappearances to thermobaric and thermal munitions generating extreme temperatures and pressure waves.
- US-manufactured bombs including MK-84, BLU-109 and GBU-39 were identified at multiple attack sites.
- Medical experts said heat exceeding 3,000°C vaporizes bodily fluids and tissue almost instantly.
- Legal scholars warned use of indiscriminate weapons may amount to war crimes and shared responsibility.
Bodies That Could Not Be Found
An Al Jazeera investigation documented an unusual and repeated phenomenon across Gaza: victims reported killed in strikes but leaving no bodies behind.
Civil Defense teams recorded 2,842 Palestinians who disappeared without recoverable remains. According to rescuers, the figure was not an estimate but the result of systematic forensic counting at destroyed homes.
Teams compared known occupants with bodies recovered. “If a family tells us there were five people inside, and we only recover three intact bodies, we treat the remaining two as ‘evaporated’ only after an exhaustive search yields nothing but biological traces,” Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal explained.
Rescuers said they often found only blood spray, small fragments of flesh, or scorched residue.
Families Searching Without Graves
The investigation included testimonies from families who searched for days through hospitals, mosques and morgues.
After the bombing of al-Tabin school in Gaza City, Yasmin Mahani said she walked through the ruins looking for her son. “We found nothing of Saad. Not even a body to bury. That was the hardest part,” she told Al Jazeera.
Rafiq Badran, whose home was destroyed in the Bureij refugee camp, described losing four children. “Four of my children just evaporated… Not a piece was left. Where did they go?” he said.
For many families, the absence of remains meant the mourning process never concluded.
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The Science Behind the Disappearances
Experts interviewed in the investigation attributed the phenomenon to thermobaric and thermal munitions capable of generating extreme temperatures and pressure.
These weapons disperse a fuel cloud that ignites, creating a massive fireball and vacuum effect. Military expert Vasily Fatigarov said metal powders are added to prolong combustion and intensify heat. Temperatures can exceed 3,500°C.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh explained the biological consequences. “When a body is exposed to energy exceeding 3,000 degrees combined with massive pressure and oxidation, the fluids boil instantly. The tissues vaporise and turn to ash,” he said.
Because the human body is largely water, the heat converts tissue to gas and residue within seconds.
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Weapons Identified at Strike Sites
The investigation traced the phenomenon to specific US-manufactured munitions recovered from strike areas:
- The MK-84 bomb produces extreme heat through tritonal explosive mixture.
- The BLU-109 bunker-buster detonates inside enclosed spaces, generating intense pressure and fire.
- The GBU-39 precision glide bomb destroys interior spaces while leaving outer structures relatively intact.
Rescuers reported recovering GBU-39 fragments at locations where bodies vanished.
The combination of confined spaces and extreme temperature amplified lethality while reducing visible structural damage.
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Legal and International Implications
Legal experts interviewed by Al Jazeera said weapons incapable of distinguishing civilians from combatants may violate international law.
“This is a global genocide, not just an Israeli one,” said lawyer Diana Buttu, pointing to continued supply chains from Western countries. She argued knowledge of civilian harm creates potential complicity.
International law professor Tariq Shandab said ongoing killings despite court orders reflected a failure of accountability mechanisms. He described siege conditions — including restrictions on food and medicine — as potentially constituting crimes against humanity.
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Genocide Continus
Since October 2023, Gaza has experienced one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in its modern history. Entire neighborhoods were flattened, critical infrastructure collapsed, and the health system was pushed beyond capacity.
Casualty figures climbed steadily into the tens of thousands, while large portions of the population were displaced multiple times.
The scale of destruction transformed daily life into a constant struggle for water, food, shelter, and medical care, with families often living in temporary tents or damaged buildings.
International organizations and human rights groups described the situation as a genocide, pointing to patterns of mass civilian killing, forced displacement, siege conditions, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Legal proceedings began in international courts and diplomatic pressure intensified, but political divisions prevented meaningful enforcement.
The war also reshaped regional and global discourse, with protests, sanctions debates, and growing scrutiny of arms transfers and accountability mechanisms.
After the ceasefire, the violence did not simply end but shifted form. Sporadic attacks, restrictions on aid entry, and the collapse of basic services continued to define daily reality.
Reconstruction moved slowly due to blockade conditions and lack of materials, while hundreds of thousands remained displaced.
For many families, the post-war phase became a prolonged humanitarian emergency marked by grief, uncertainty, and the long-term consequences of mass destruction rather than a clear return to normal life.
(AJE, PC)
