Israel Dropping Bombs that Vaporize Humans in Gaza: Palestinian Health Ministry Chief

Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, the Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, has accused Israel of using bombs that vaporize both people and buildings in its airstrikes on Gaza.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, he described the devastating impact of these strikes, claiming that the bombs dropped on residential areas have caused severe, unrecognized effects on both civilians and infrastructure. Al-Bursh stated that in the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli forces are using unknown weapons that result in the evaporation of bodies, preventing local authorities from obtaining information about the full scale of the destruction.

The Ministry of Health has called for an urgent international investigation into the types of weapons being used by Israel and their effect on civilians. Al-Bursh’s testimony highlights a new level of destruction in Gaza, which he claims is unlike any previous conflicts.

In May, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor also called for an international investigation into Israel's potential use of thermal weapons in Gaza, citing testimonies of bodies melting or evaporating after bombings since October 2023. The report raised concerns over the use of weapons like “vacuum bombs,” which are known for producing intense heat.

“The Israeli army’s use of massive destruction in entire residential squares during its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has resulted in a shockingly high number of casualties. This raises fears about the potential use of ‘thermal weapons,’ or what are known as ‘vacuum bombs,’ which are well-known in military circles for their efficacy in demolishing caves and underground tunnel complexes,” the report said. “Thousands of victims remain missing, either because it was impossible to recover them from under the debris in light of insufficient equipment and technical know-how, or because their bodies were either hidden by the Israeli army or no longer exist. A number of the victims killed in these horrifying Israeli raids on residential buildings have vanished and may have turned to ashes, raising questions about the type of bombs used in the attacks.”

These accusations align with those in Antony Loewenstein’s book The Palestine Laboratory, which argues that Israel uses Gaza as a testing ground for new military technologies, including advanced weapons, chemicals, and psychological tactics. Loewenstein suggests that Israeli military technologies, such as drones and facial recognition systems, are tested in Gaza before being marketed globally.

Israeli companies like Elbit Systems and NSO Group profit from exporting these technologies, which are used by various governments for military and surveillance purposes. Some of these technologies have been linked to human rights abuses in authoritarian regimes around the world.