An Al Jazeera Arabic investigation has reported that Israel’s use of prohibited thermal and thermobaric weapons in Gaza has caused thousands of Palestinians to vanish without trace. The program, aired on Monday, detailed how Civil Defence teams documented 2,842 cases of people who “evaporated” since the war began in October 2023, leaving behind only blood or small fragments. The report cited forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts, including that of Yasmin Mahani, who lost her son in an August 2024 strike on Gaza City’s al-Tabin school.

Experts interviewed in the investigation explained that thermobaric and vacuum bombs generate extreme heat exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius, capable of vaporizing human tissue. Fragments of U.S.-made GBU-39 bombs were reportedly found at sites where bodies disappeared. Legal analysts said the use of such indiscriminate weapons violates international law and implicates both Israel and its Western suppliers.

Despite international court actions earlier in 2024, including an ICC arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister, the report said attacks and blockades have continued. Legal scholars described the global justice system as having failed Gaza, while victims’ families continue to search for remains of their loved ones.