Airwars assessment
Shortly before 2:29 AM on Monday, October 23, 2023, at least twelve identified civilians, including four women and five children, were killed and many civilians were reportedly injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the al-Saafin family home located in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
On the day of the alleged strike, sources, including Shehab Agency on Twitter/X, reported quoting the Gaza Ministry of Interior “injuries as a result of the [Israeli military] targeting a house for the “al-Saafin” family in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.” Daaarb.com attributed the bombing to “an Israeli warplane.” The Facebook post by Khamis Hussein mentioned the names of some of the killed members of the Al-Saafin family and added that there were “many injuries”.
Social media testimonies by family members and friends helped to identify the names of 12 killed family members. Initially, most sources posted the names of 11 victims, but Bayan al-Saafin died of her injuries in November, several weeks after the strike.
Samir Rajab al-Saafin (62 years old) and his wife, Fayza Hassan al-Saafin Younis (58 years old), were killed along with their son, Nasser al-Din Samir al-Saafin (13 years old), their daughter, Bayan Samir al-Saafin (age unavailable), their granddaughter, Hala Muhammad Samir al-Saafin (14 years old), their grandson (Hala’s brother) Amir Muhammad Samir al-Saafin (8 years old), and their granddaughter, Aisha Jihad Shaheen (less than one year old).
Online, numerous loved ones shared their grief about those killed in the alleged strike. On Facebook, a surviving son of Samir and Fayza, Mohammad al-Saafin, shared photos of some of his relatives who were killed, including three children and a baby. Ahmed al-Saafin posted “My uncle Samir Rajab Al-Saafin, his wife, and several family members were martyred after their house was targeted.” Isaam al-Saafin wrote “House bombing Samir Rajab Abdel Hadi Al-Saafin. 11 martyrs so far. The martyr Samir Rajab Abdul Hadi al-Saafin, his wife Fayza and his son Nasser, the martyr Mahmoud Abdel Aziz al-Saafin al-Sayyad, his wife, his son Louie, and his son. The children: Hala Muhammad Samir al-Saafin and the child Amir Muhammad Samir al-Saafin, and a two-month-old baby girl. We consider them martyrs before God.”
The “Al-Bureij brings us together” Facebook account shared a photo collage of some of the oldest and youngest members of the al-Saafin family who were killed, including Samir Rajab al-Saafin and his grandchildren. Other accounts posted videos honoring various members of the family who were killed in the alleged Israeli strike.
Eslam Nafez mourned Fayza Hassan al-Saafin Younis and her family, writing “My dear and affectionate aunt. My second mother, you left in the blink of an eye, two days ago, I saw you and hugged you. I did not know that it would be the last hug, my dear…My aunt Fayza, her husband, her son Nasser, and her grandchildren Amir, Hala, and Aisha, the daughter of Malak. May God give patience to your heart, O Malik Abeer, my beloved…Umm Nasser al-Saafin, may God have mercy on them, birds of paradise.”
On November 10, Fayez Sami al-Saafin announced that “My cousin, Bayan Samir al-Saafin, passed away to God’s mercy to join her parents, two brothers, and her nephews who died in our family’s slaughter two weeks ago.”
On February 10, 2024, Abu Mossab posted a set of photos on Facebook showing smiling members of the al-Saafin family who were killed in the alleged October 23 strike, writing “Our hopes were for the future, and the loved ones were around us, and joy, but there was a hero in independence, and the loved ones left us. Oh Lord, join me on their knees. I swear to your majesty that I miss my mother’s embrace. I miss hearing from my sister. I miss my brother’s support. I miss laughing with our children.. Oh Lord, there are no more tricks to parting with them.”
Jihad Shaheen shared a heartbreaking photo of himself holding his baby daughter, Aisha, writing “My dear daughter, the joy of the heart and the apple of the eye, The martyr: Aisha Jihad Shaheen.”
Samir’s uncle, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz al-Saafin (Abu Louay) (71 years old), and Mahmoud’s wife, Elham Shaheen al-Saafin Ziyadah (Umm Louay) (63 years old) were killed along with their son, Louay Mahmoud al-Saafin (45 years old), his wife Israa Azmi al-Saafin al-Khalidi (31 years old), and Louay and Israa’s son, Abdul Aziz Louay al-Saafin (11 years old).
Family relative Mahmoud Shaheen mourned the dead, writing “The loved ones of the heart are martyrs…The joy of my heart is my aunt Umm Luay. Since my childhood, I have seen the beauty of the world in her smile when she sees me. My uncle Abu Louay, stubborn and affectionate, smells like my mother. His son, Louay, who has a cheerful spirit, his wife, and his son. My cousin, Samir al-Saafin, his wife, and a number of his children and grandchildren.”
Aseel W. Al Louh wrote “Five hours after the tragedy of losing my uncle’s house, we received news that it was the house of Tita, Grandpa, and my beloved uncle. My heart broke for them while they were in them. My dear beloved, the support of my entire soul, my grandfather: Hajj Abu Luay, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz al-Saafin, Mahmoud Saafin, was martyred. And Tita, the beloved of my life, my precious one: Elham Shaheen Shaheen Èm Loay, and my cousin: Abdul Aziz Louay Mahmoud al-Saafin My uncle Louay and his wife are still under the rubble, along with dozens of the al-Saafin family My uncle, Nawras, is injured. May God have mercy on Tita, Grandpa, and my cousin, and rest in peace with my uncle Louay and his wife.”
Al Louh also posted photographs of his grandfather, Mahmoud al-Saafin, and shared his memories of the man, writing “This is my grandfather, my beloved, the wise, the martyr, God willing, Hajj Abu Luay “Mahmoud al-Saafin”… I could not comprehend the shock of our parting with him. For days, weeks, and months, I waited for him to knock on the door of the house in which we were present and to surprise us with his arrival or his call to my mother to check on us, and in fact he came. Grandpa is for us, but only in a dream, and what is easy for us is that he came happy, with a cheerful face and relaxed….Not a single word could do justice to my grandfather, the poet, calligrapher, wise, compassionate, and kind grandfather, who used to come on our last summer vacation three times a day. He felt that he would leave soon, but we did not feel that. We were waiting for the hour when he would come and its timing. “Walak weno” accompanied his call to me, so I quickly went to the door, opened it for him, and was surprised by the bags of chocolate and fruits that we love, I asked him the usual question, “Is there tea or coffee?” Then he chooses what he wants, and I quickly run to prepare it, then I sit with him and tell him about the details of the university and my small achievements, and after that, he continues to encourage me for every achievement, applauds me warmly, and asks me to promise to keep the same approach, and he secretly tells me that his greatest dream at this age is to be happy with my graduation. From the university, but my grandfather left before witnessing my graduation.”
Airwars has matched all the names except Bayan (who died after October 26th) with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of nearly 7000 victims’ names and ID numbers released on October 26th, 2023.
Where sources identified the belligerent, the strike was attributed to Israeli forces.
Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.
The incident occured at approximately 2:29 am local time.
The victims were named as:
Family members (12)
Summary
Sources (38) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (20) [ collapse]
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Source: Eslam nafez -
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Source: Al-bureij gatherers us -
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Source: Mahmoud sami al-saafeen -
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Source: Mahmoud sami al-saafeen -
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Source: Al-bureij brings us together -
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Source: Hana hussen -
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Source: Umm naser al-saafin -
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Source: Jihad shaheen -
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Source: Abo mossab -
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Source: Abo mossab -
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Source: Abo mossab -
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Source: Abo mossab -
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