Investigation Reports Thousands of Palestinians ‘Vaporized’ in Gaza

(MENAFN) A special investigation by Al Jazeera has documented the disappearance of at least 2,842 Palestinians in Gaza since the outbreak of Israel’s genocide on the enclave, linking the phenomenon to the deployment of high-temperature weapons reportedly capable of obliterating human tissue.

The probe, titled The Rest of the Story, aired Monday and relied on data collected by Gaza’s Civil Defense teams from the onset of the conflict in October 2023.

Forensic Approach to Disappearances

The investigation emphasized that the 2,842 cases classified as “evaporated” are based on detailed field documentation rather than estimations. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, explained that rescue teams use a “method of elimination” at strike sites. This involves comparing the known number of people in a building with the remains recovered afterward.

“If a family tells us there were five people inside, and we only recover three intact bodies, we only classify the remaining two as ‘evaporated’ after an exhaustive search yields nothing but biological traces,” Basal said, noting examples such as blood spray or small fragments like scalps. He stressed that individuals are only categorized as missing in this way after searches of rubble, hospitals, and morgues yield no identifiable remains.

Families Left Without Closure

The investigation also featured personal testimonies from Palestinians searching for missing relatives. Yasmin Mahani recounted her search for her son, Saad, following an Israeli attack on al-Tabin school in Gaza City on August 10, 2024.

“I went into the mosque and found myself stepping on flesh and blood,” Mahani told Al Jazeera Arabic. She spent several days searching hospitals and morgues but could find no trace of her son.

“We found nothing of Saad. Not even a body to bury. That was the hardest part,” she said, highlighting the trauma faced by families left without closure.

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