[rexpop]

This story is utterly chilling, but its source is incredibly dubious.

Al Jazeera operates entirely at the pleasure of the Al Thani royal family—from whom it receives 90% of its revenue.

Qatar, likewise, provides Hamas with essential financial lifelines—billions in aid over the years, including regular cash transfers for salaries, fuel, and reconstruction in Gaza. Hamas's political leadership lives comfortably in Doha, which gives the Al Thani family a direct channel to influence decisions there. Without Qatar's support, Hamas would struggle to function as effectively, making Doha the group's most critical backer.

So, again, Al Jazeera is effectively a mouthpiece for Hamas or, rather, both are limbs of Qatar's ruling Al Thani family.

Many Arab regimes face publics where the Palestinian cause remains a sacred, unifying obsession, transcending borders and sects. Leaders amplify Gaza outrage via state media to rally citizens around the flag, distracting from internal woes like economic stagnation, youth unemployment, or repression.

The status quo—intermittent flares—lets everyone virtue-signal, fund proxies cheaply, and avoid accountability for real peace (which demands painful compromises like PA reform or Israeli concessions).

Meanwhile, captured Hamas documents reveal systematic coordination with Al Jazeera, including editorial guidelines, secure phone lines for real-time instructions, and directives to shape coverage. It's less a news outlet than a geopolitical lever, stoking emotions to maintain regional clout.

So while the core reality of airstrikes holds, it's distorted by propaganda into disproportionate horror.

[replooda]

> Qatar, likewise, provides Hamas with essential financial lifelines—billions in aid over the years ...

So did (heck, likely does) Israel. Bags and bags of money, as reported by their own Times and by others.

[sigwinch]

I feel like there’s some propaganda serving both sides. A bomb which prevents Muslim funeral rites can be psychological warfare from Israel and also a story over-emphasized from those invested in Hamas to take the focus away from something else.

[spwa4]

Is it perhaps also possible that a bunker buster bomb that can be used to destroy tunnels from above ground ... was used to bust bunkers and destroy tunnels?

Nah it's a conspiracy! Must be!

[sigwinch]

Secret message cooperation is unlikely, since one side is accusing the other of violating international humanitarian law.

[mmustapic]

But why do you say it is distorted propaganda? How do you know that those bombs were not used in Gaza?

[BYazfVCcq]

A hint would be that none of the mentioned munitions, MK-84, BLU-109, and GBU-39, are thermobaric. They're conventional HE or penetrator munitions.

[mmustapic]

At least the MK-84 can use tritonal, which the article mentions specifically. When exploding it can raise the temperature to several thousand degrees.

[spwa4]

If you can think of such tiny details. Then, surely, you can also answer the larger idea, no? What are these weapons, more in general? What are they used for normally, what are they designed to do?

And does the normal explanation perhaps make a lot more sense than pointing at the tiny details that fits a conspiracy theory?

[mmustapic]

What tiny detail? The whole point of the article is that they used bombs that can raise the temperature so high that it can “evaporate” people.