Thermobaric vacuum bombs: Reports claim Israel ‘vaporised’ 2,842 Gazans using thermal weapons
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Gaza: Reports have now emerged claiming that Israel have been using thermobaric or thermal weapons in Gaza, leading to disappearances.
The country has been accused of using banned high-temperature weapons to “vaporise” Gazans, a new report has claimed.
The claims came to light during an Al-Jazeera investigation which stated that around 2,842 people were documented as having disappeared since October 2023 by Gaza’s Civil Defence teams.
Citing the investigation, The Week reported that the number of disappearances was determined using a “method of elimination” at the strike sites.
Quoting Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal, the report said, “We enter a targeted home and cross-reference the known number of occupants with the 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—blood spray on walls or small fragments like scalps,” he added.
What are thermobaric or vacuum bombs?
According to The Week, thermobaric or thermal bombs, also known as vacuum or aerosol bombs, are munitions that use fuel-air explosive properties to generate extreme temperatures and powerful pressure waves.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera Vasily Fatigarov, a Russian military expert spoke about the intensity of the weapon, stating that they don't just kill, they obliterate matter.
The phenomenon results from a two-stage explosion. Firstly, the weapons release a cloud of fuel or fine particles into the air, followed by a detonation that generates a fireball and a vacuum effect, pulling in surrounding air and oxygen.
Blast temperatures can soar up to 3,500 degrees Celsius. “To extend the burning duration, powders of aluminium, magnesium, and titanium are incorporated into the chemical mixture. This increases the explosion’s temperature to between 2,500 and 3,000 degrees Celsius.” Fatigarov was quoted as saying by the Qatari media.
The intense heat is typically produced by a mixture of TNT and aluminium powder known as tritonal, a compound commonly used in US‑manufactured munitions such as the MK‑84.
A report by Al Jazeera cites Al-Tabin School in Gaza as an example, where, following an Israeli strike, families were unable to recover the bodies of those who had been at the site before the attack.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director general of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza to Al-Jazeera that, “The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius.”
“When a body is subjected to energy exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius, along with extreme pressure and oxidation, bodily fluids boil instantly, tissues vaporize, and the remains turn to ash. It is a chemically inevitable process,” Dr. Munir al-Bursh added.
According to the report, the weapons are engineered to maximise blast effects over a wide area, with damage primarily caused by overpressure rather than shrapnel, as is typical in conventional explosives.
An investigation by the news channel has identified three different US‑made munitions used in Gaza that have been linked to disappearances: the MK‑84 ‘Hammer,’ a large unguided bomb filled with tritonal capable of generating heat up to 3,500 degree celsius, the BLU‑109 bunker buster, which penetrates before detonating using a PBXN‑109 explosive mix, and the GBU‑39, a precision bomb employing an AFX‑757 explosive designed to maintain the building structure while killing through a pressure wave that ruptures lungs and a thermal wave that can incinerate tissue.
Fragments of the GBU‑39 were allegedly recovered from the Al‑Tabin School attack, the report cited.
Is it illegal to use thermobaric weapons ?
The use of thermobaric weapons is regulated under international humanitarian law, which mandates that parties in a conflict avoid attacks on civilians.
Human rights organisations have raised concerns over their deployment in densely populated urban areas.
In 2022, the Ukrainian government similarly alleged that Russia had employed thermobaric weapons at the outset of the war.
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Meghalaya MP death: Assembly session for Feb 20 likely to be adjourned, says CM
Shillong (PTI): The Meghalaya assembly session for February 20, during which the state budget is scheduled to be presented, could be adjourned as a mark of respect to Shillong MP Ricky A J Syngkon, who died on Thursday evening, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said.
Syngkon reportedly collapsed while playing futsal on the outskits of the city, and doctors at a private hospital declared him dead around 8:45 pm.
"We have discussed with Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge of Parliamentary Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, and we will have a meeting tomorrow with the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) headed by the Speaker," Sangma told PTI.
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"I have communicated to the Deputy CM that it would be appropriate for the government not to go ahead with the proceedings of the House tomorrow. Even though tomorrow is the day we are supposed to present the budget, it will make absolute sense and a mark of respect to the departed soul if we were to postpone even the presentation of the budget," he said.
Sangma expressed shock over the sudden demise of Syngkon, recalling their recent meeting in Delhi where they discussed development plans for Meghalaya.
"I had met Syngkon about two weeks back in Delhi... that was the last meeting and conversation I had with him," the CM said.
Sangma recalled Syngkon's commitment and passion for the people of Khasi and Jaintia Hills, describing his demise as a "great loss for the state".
"Syngkon served the people with humility, vision and a sincere desire to uplift society. I express my deepest condolences to the family of late Ricky Syngkon, and I pray to the Almighty that he gives strength to the family members as well as his supporters and party leaders to bear the huge loss," the chief minister added.
