Airwars assessment
Shortly before 3:10 PM on Thursday, October 19, 2023, the Abu Odeh (Abu Aouda) family home located by the Al-Mustafa stadium behind the Al-Amal neighbourhood market in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, was destroyed in an alleged Israeli airstrike. One source, @Hamzaalnamla1, in a post on X/Twitter described the strike as occurring in the Japanese neighbourhood near the Social Affairs Offices. According to initial reports by local sources, 45 family members were wounded, and at least 18 family members, including at least five women and at least 11 children, were killed.
@Mustafa3Ahed shared an image on X/Twitter, taken by Mohammed Marjan from a distance, reportedly showing the strike. An enormous cloud of smoke and dust filled the sky. @Hamzaalnamla1 shared a similar image.
Shehab Agency was the first to report about the event, mentioning several injuries and sharing images of the two small injured children, a boy and a girl, being treated by doctors. The news agency Alaraby reported seven killed victims. Journalist Ahmad Qudeih reported that among the victims of the incident were also displaced civilians from the Al-Namnam family.
Quds News reported dozens of injured and shared a video on its Twitter/X account showing ambulances arriving at a hospital and injured civilians, including children, being carried in on stretchers. Facebook user Nables Sameeh Abu Ataiyah reported that, in total, 45 civilians were wounded in the incident.
Al Jazeera Palestine shared a graphic video showing dead bodies in white shrouds lying on the ground, with the names of victims being written on them. Palestine Today news agency also shared images of the shrouds along with a graphic image of a dead boy, with his face and body covered in blood.
Airwars researchers have identified the names of 18 family members who were killed in the incident.
Among those named were 57-year-old Sabah Diab Hassan Abu Odeh (Umm Amjad) and her eldest son, 31-year-old Amjad Majed Muhammad Abu Odeh, who was described as a beloved and kind friend by Mohamed Adnan Elzatma. Amjad’s wife, 30-year-old Manal Ziyad Khamis Abu Odeh, who was six-month pregnant, was killed alongside their five-year-old daughter, Maria Amjad Majed Abu Odeh, and three sons: three-year-old Ahmed Amjad Majid Abu Odeh, eight-year-old Majid Amjad Majid Abu Odeh, and Abdul Rahman Amjad Majid Abu Odeh whose age is unknown.
Family member Mona Zead further listed the names of the victims. The 32-year-old daughter of Sabah and Mona’s cousin, Magda Majed Muhammad Abu Odeh, was killed along with her son and two daughters, 12-year-old Khaled Maher Khaled Abu Obaid, three-year-old Munallah Maher Khaled Abu Obaid, and six-year-old Nada Maher Khaled Abu Obaid.
Magda’s sister-in-law, Hajja Anshrah Muhammad Hassan Abu Odeh, and her daughter Sabreen Ahmed Tabaza were also killed in the deadly airstrike. Sabreen’s husband was allegedly injured in the incident and had to have his feet and hands amputated following the bombing, which “tore them to pieces.”
Abu Malek and Mohammad Emad Tabaze mourned the death of their grandmother Anshrah and their aunt Sabreen. Mohammad shared an image of the elderly Anshrah from before the incident.
Two daughters of a family member named Magdalene, 10-year-old Yasmeen Muhammad Fayez Abu Odeh and her sister, two-year-old Eileen Muhammad Fayez Abu Odeh, were also killed in the strike.
Amjad Majed Hassan Abu Odeh and her daughter, 12-year-old Ghazal Hassan Khaled Abu Obaid, were also killed alongside 15-year-old Mohammed Majed Mohamed Abu Odeh.
Mona Zead wrote a Facebook obituary for her relatives, listing their names. She said “My heart is my beloved, and the one who makes my pain and heartbreak easy for me is my beloved aunt/Sabah Diab Hassan Abu Odeh (Umm Amjad) and her son. Amjad Majed Muhammad Abu Odeh “Abu Majid”, my sister’s husband. Manal Ziyad Khamis Abu Odeh … the pulse of my heart, Umm Majid and her children.”
According to Mona, Amjad and Manal’s son, Majid Amjad Majid Abu Odeh, memorized the Qur’an at six years of age and was preparing to recite the Qur’an in one sitting in the coming days.
Jolya Alfadaa shared an image of the dead body of Manal Abu Odeh in a white shroud, adding that she was six months pregnant at the time of her death.
The death of Amjad, his wife, and all of their children was mourned in many Facebook posts, including those by Mossab al-Lahham, Mohammad Abu Basel, and Mohamed Adnan El Zatma. They shared images of Amjad, a young smiling bearded man.
Khadeeja Nabeel Ouwad also shared her grief on Facebook over the loss of “sweetheart of the soul, joy of the heart … my friend, sister, and beloved, A. Manal Ziad Abu Odeh” and her husband and children. Khadeeja shared two images of Manal’s children, one featuring Majid in a white embroidered shirt, another one – Maria in a traditional dress, and one graphic image of Majid’s dead body.
Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.
The incident occured in the afternoon.
The victims were named as:
Family members (19)
Summary
Sources (25) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (37) [ collapse]
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Source: @ShehabAgency -
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Source: @ShehabAgency -
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Source: Palestine today news agency -
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Source: Palestine today news agency -
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Source: Palestine today news agency -
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Source: @Mustafa3Ahed -
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Source: @Hamzaalnamla1 -
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Source: Mohamed adnan elzatma -
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Source: Mohamed adnan elzatma -
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Source: Mohammad abu basel -
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Source: Mossab al-lahham -
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Source: Mona Dyab -
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Source: Mona Dyab -
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Source: Mona Dyab -
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Source: Hassan saad aldeen -
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Source: Hassan saad aldeen -
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Source: Hassan saad aldeen -
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Source: Jolya Alfadaa -
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Source: Khadeeja nabeel ouwad -
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Source: Khadeeja nabeel ouwad -
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Source: Khadeeja nabeel ouwad -
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Source: Noora atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Naema atef -
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Source: Mohammad emad tabaze -
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