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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1,600 Indians travel to India on 5 Qatar Airways flights amid airspace curbs
Doha (PTI): Around 1,600 Indian nationals travelled to India on five Qatar Airways flights on Tuesday, even as the airline continues to operate limited services due to restrictions on Qatar's airspace, the Indian Embassy here said.
The flights included two services to Delhi and one each to Mumbai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, the embassy said in a social media post.
"In total, about 1600 Indian nationals travelled on Qatar Airways flights today," it said.
The mission noted that Qatar's airspace remains largely closed and Qatar Airways is currently operating only limited, non-scheduled flights.
The airline has announced services to nine Indian destinations starting Wednesday, and passengers can make bookings through the Qatar Airways website, mobile application or authorised travel agents.
The embassy said it continues to facilitate temporary Saudi transit visas for stranded Indian nationals wishing to travel to India via Saudi Arabia by crossing the Salwa land border.
The mission will remain open on all days in the coming week to provide consular services, including issuance of passports, while its control room and helplines through phone, email and WhatsApp will continue to function on a 24/7 basis.
It urged the Indian community to follow instructions issued by Qatari authorities and exercise responsibility in sharing information to help maintain public safety and community stability.
The embassy and Indian community organisations have also collaborated to support members of the Indian fishermen community in Qatar by providing dry rations to those in need.
Tensions in West Asia continue to escalate following the US-Israel strikes on Iran since February 28.
