| THE LIE Israel “vaporized” thousands of Gazans using thermobaric weapons, which are internationally prohibited. |
| THE TRUTH Thermobaric weapons do not “vaporize” people, they are not banned under international law, and the only group to use them in the Gaza conflict was Hamas, not Israel. |
| BACKGROUND On February 13, 2026, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told Owen Shroyer that Israel has “vaporized” Gazans with US-made thermobaric weapons. (Instagram) She repeated the claim on X and accused Israel of committing “crimes against humanity.” (X) The claim originates from an Al Jazeera article, which reported Hamas statements asserting Israel made 2,842 Palestinians “evaporate” using “internationally prohibited” thermobaric bombs. (Al Jazeera) Thermobaric weapons spread a fuel cloud and ignite it, producing a high-pressure blast that causes massive damage—especially in enclosed spaces like bunkers or tunnels. |
TRUTH EXPLAINED
- Hamas’s “evidence” relies on a body-count method: counting the number of occupants in a building and assuming anyone not found was “evaporated.” (Al Jazeera)
- The weapons cited—MK-84, BLU-109, GBU-39—are conventional high-explosive or penetrator munitions, not thermobaric weapons. They are designed to destroy structures, not “vaporize” human bodies. (Military Science), (Honest Reporting)
- Thermobaric weapons operate by dispersing a fuel cloud and detonating it, causing overpressure and oxygen depletion; even these do not make bodies disappear. (Military Science)
- Thermobaric weapons are not internationally prohibited. The U.S. military has used them in multiple conflicts, including Vietnam (BLU-82), Iraq (Fallujah), and Afghanistan (GBU-43/B MOAB). (West Point), (Military Times)
- There is no scientific or forensic basis for the claim that explosions cause human bodies to “evaporate.” Even in thermobaric blasts, remains typically exist. (Military Science)
- Greene did not raise similar accusations when Hamas used thermobaric-style explosives during the October 7, 2023 massacre of 1,200 Israeli civilians, where forensic reports documented extensive thermal damage and injuries consistent with thermobaric blasts. (Military Science)
- The “vaporization” allegation is based entirely on Hamas statements and reporting from Al Jazeera, not independent investigation or evidence. (Al Jazeera)
| QUOTES “According to the type of terrorist weapons captured by Israel, examination of attack sites, pathologist reports, and published preliminary clinical data, it appears that during the October 7 attack the terrorists used small-arms thermobaric weapons.” — Military Science report |
| Takeaway Marjorie Taylor Greene’s claim that Israel has “vaporized” thousands of Palestinians is not only false, it’s physically impossible. It relies entirely on Hamas statements, ignoring the realities of physics and forensic evidence. Thermobaric weapons do not make people disappear, they are not banned under international law, and the only group using such explosives on October 7, 2023, was Hamas—not Israel. Greene’s selective outrage exposes her willingness to amplify propaganda while turning a blind eye to actual atrocities. |
