Shortly before 6.50am on Thursday, October 19th 2023, five people, including two women, were killed and one other was injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the al-Astal family home in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip.

55-year-old Yusra Hamdan and her 17-year-old son, Abdel Rahman Muhammad Ahmad al-Astal were killed, along with 58-year-old Suleiman Muhammad Suleiman al-Astal and his wife, 54-year-old Shafiqa Shahada Bahri al-Astal. 34-year-old Mohamed Abdel Majeed Ali al-Astal was also killed in the alleged strike. One source indicated that Dr. Alaa M. al-Astal was injured in the incident.

At 6:50am on October 19th, the Palestinian Press Agency, Safa, reported “Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza: Martyrs and wounded in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house for the “Al-Astal” family in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.”

A video posted by @PalinfoAr on Twitter/X showed rescue workers at the location of the strike. One of them carries a severed leg out from the site, others load a body into an ambulance, and another group of men frantically dig through the rubble searching for additional victims. The video’s caption states “Martyrs and wounded in the bombing of the al-Astal family home in Khan Yunis.”

The same day, Sameh Ramadan reported on Facebook that “three martyrs from the Astal family arrived at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip as a result of the continuous bombing.”

In the aftermath of the alleged strike, family and friends shared their grief online. A Facebook account titled ‘Sons of the al-Tarash and al-Astal Families’ posted smiling photos of three of the deceased family members, writing “A new group of family members joins the Al-Shada’a convoys. #martyr/Mohamed Abdel Majeed Ali (Tarraf) al-Astal “Abu Ramzi”. #martyr/ Suleiman Muhammad Suleiman (al-Sawalma) al-Astal (and his wife Shafiqa al-Astal). #martyr/ Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Ahmad al-Astal (and his mother is the wife of Abu Ubaida al-Astal). May God accept you along with the prophets and martyrs.” On January 11th 2024, that same account announced that over 50 members of the al-Tarash and al-Astal families had been killed by Israeli forces in total during the campaign.

On the day of the attack, Khaled Abdelsalam Abu Waleed wrote on Facebook that there would be “Funeral prayers for today’s martyrs from the family, Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Astal/al-Zawayda/and his mother tomorrow, Friday, in al-Ausmawi at ten o’clock in the morning.” In the same post, Abu Waleed shared a smiling photo of Abd al-Rahman as well as a shot of the destroyed building where members of the al-Astal family had been killed. Similarly, Hala Ahmad mourned “The martyrdom of my sister, Yusra Hamdan, Umm Ubaida, and her son Abdul Rahman al-Astal.” Sharing a video of the deceased, Facebook user Shi Rin offered her “deepest condolences and sympathy on the death of “cousin” Suleiman Muhammad Suleiman al-Astal.”

On October 20th, Nour Bakar announced that “with great sorrow and sadness, and with hearts that believe in God’s will and destiny, we received the news of the martyrdom of my aunt Yusra Hamdan, “Umm Ubaida.”…May God bear witness that she was one of the most pious and best-mannered people. What a distinguished educator who left the fingerprints of goodness wherever she went. I ask God Almighty to cover her with His mercy and make her dwell in the highest paradise next to my father…Prayers for the complete recovery of my cousin, Dr. Alaa M. al-Astal.” Bakar also shared a photo of her aunt Yusra (“Umm Ubaida”) giving a speech while holding a microphone.

Where sources identified the belligerent, the strike was attributed to Israeli forces.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

The incident occured at approximately 6:45 am local time.