Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT1437

Incident date

December 3, 2023

Location

مدرسة الفاخورة, al Fakhoura School, North Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.452843, 34.390054 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the morning of December 3, 2023, a number of civilians were killed and injured, including a woman and a child, in an alleged Israeli strike at the gate of the Al Fakhoura School in the Jabalia Camp, located in North Gaza. Few specific details about the victims were publicly available.

At 3:27 am, the Palestinian Press Agency (Safa), among other sources on local and social media, reported that Israeli forces had allegedly committed “a new massacre…by bombing the gate of Al-Fakhoura School in Jabalia Camp, north of the Gaza Strip”. A correspondent for Al-Ghad TV also reported on the alleged bombing by Israeli forces, stating that the strike resulted “in martyrs and injuries.” Yaffa News Agency reported that there were a “number of casualties and injuries” as a result of the alleged bombing. Marsal Qatar alleged that “Israeli warplanes carried out a new massacre earlier today”, and that “they bombed a residential square and the gate of Al-Fakhoura School in the camp, which shelters hundreds of displaced people.”

On Twitter/X and Facebook, users @Poztve, Yousef el Hawney, and The Palestinian Community in Norway page shared two videos taken in the aftermath of the strike. In one 45-second clip, at least four casualties, including a child and a woman, can be seen lying on the ground, all of whom appear to be gravely wounded or dead. Screams are heard throughout the video, as people desperately try to tend to the victims and drag the bodies to safety. In the other video taken in the same area, locals can be seen trying to help a severely wounded and profusely bleeding man lying on the ground. The sources termed it as “a new Israeli massacre at al-Fakhoura school”, and as “one massacre after another.”

The names, details, and precise number of casualties are currently unknown.

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

The incident occured in the morning.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention an alleged strike on al Fakhoura school (مدرسة الفاخورة) in Jabalia (جباليا), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.452843, 34.390054. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (0–1 children0–1 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

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Israeli Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Israeli Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 4
  • (0–1 children0–1 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]