Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0791

Incident date

October 31, 2023

Location

منزل لعائلة أبو سرية في شارع النديم بحي الزيتون, Abu Sariya family home on al-Nadim Street in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

Before dawn on October 31, 2023, nine people – including four children – were killed and dozens of others injured in an alleged Israeli bombing of the Abu Suriya family home on al-Nadim Street in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City in the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Munther Muhammad Youssef Abu Suriya (51) was killed along with his wife Faten Abdullah Khaled Abu Suriya (37), his son Basil Munther Muhammad Abu Suriya (18), and his daughters Aseel Munther Muhammad Abu Suriya (13) and Shahed Munther Muhammad Abu Suriya (4). Khitam Mustafa Qadoura Abu Suriya (44), Farah Sami Muhammad Abu Suriya (13), Osama Khader Muhammad Abu Suriya (36) and Osama’s son Abdullah Osama Khader Abu Suriya (4) were also killed.

Early in the morning of October 31, @ShehabAgency reported “7 martyrs and dozens of injuries in the bombing of a house belonging to the Abu Suriya family on al-Nadim Street in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood.” @Sa7atPlBreaking also reported that “7 martyrs and dozens of injuries” had resulted from the “bombing” as well. Subsequent accounts by surviving family members listed nine people who were killed in the alleged strike.

Two sources explicitly attributed the strike to Israeli forces. Ibrahim Husain Abu Suriya mourned “the martyrdom of Dr. Al-Habib Munther Abu Suriya and his family in [an Israeli military] raid that [bombarded] them in their house located in the neighborhood al-Zaytoun in Gaza City.” Sharing photos of Munther, including one of the doctor in his medical scrubs, Nader Abu Serieh also grieved “the martyrdom of my friend and relative, the beloved Dr. Munther Abu Suriya, and his family in [an Israeli military] raid that [bombarded] them in their house.”

Hours after the strike, Ahmad Atef Abu Suriya wrote on Facebook that “today at dawn, 9 members of my family were martyred and others from my family were injured as a result of their house being [bombed]. Dr. Munther Abu Suriya and his family (Head of the Children’s Department at Martyr Muhammad al-Durrah Hospital) and the close [relative], Osama Khader Abu Suriya, and his son, Abdullah.” Sharing a photo of Munther and his son Basil, Abdalkarim Raed announced “the martyrdom of my uncle Dr. Munther Abu Suriya and his wife (Faten Abu Suriya (Eliwa)), and his family members, Basil, Shahed, and Aseel,  And the wife of my uncle Abu Hussam (Khitam Abu Suriya (Queen)), And the daughter of my uncle, Abu al-Yasser Abu Suriya. (Farah).” Other Facebook users including Palestine Biladi and Muhammad Abu Sariyya mourned the deaths of the Abu Suriya family members as well.

On January 1, 2024, a surviving child of Munther and Faten named Fouad Abu Suriya wrote that “everyone knows that there was a war in the Gaza Strip but few know the war with whom…The war was on civilians. In this war, something unexpected happened. These are the massacres committed by the enemy against civilians. I say this because I lost in this war the people closest to my heart, and perhaps my heart as well. Lost in this war: My father Dr. Munther Abu Suriya, who was a support to me and the entire family. My mother, Faten Abdullah Abu Suriya (Eliwa), who was everything. My brother Basil Munther Abu Suriya, who was like my second father. My sister, Aseel Munther Abu Suriya, who was my daughter that I did not give birth to. My sister, Shahed Munther Abu Suriya, who was like a heart.” In this post, Fouad also shared a number of smiling photos of their deceased loved ones.

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

All names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released July 24th 2024.

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Munther Abu Sariyya منذر أبوسرية
51 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 924442007
Faten Abu Sariya فاتن ابوسرية
37 years old female wife of Munther killed Matched to MoH ID 413385642
Basil Abu Sariya باسل ابوسرية
18 years old male son of Munther and Faten Matched to MoH ID 422730150
Shahed Abu Sariyya شهد ابوسرية
4 years old female daughter of Munther and Faten killed Matched to MoH ID 444998546
Aseel Abu Sarya اسيل ابوسرية
13 years old female daughter of Munther and Faten killed Matched to MoH ID 430042226

Family members (2)

Osama Khader Abu Suriya أسامة خضر ابو سرية
36 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802103234
Abdullah Khader Abu Suriya ابن اسامه عبد الله ابو سريه
4 years old male son of Osama killed Matched to MoH ID 443236070

The victims were named as:

Khitam Abu Sariya ختام أبو سرية
44 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 905389854
Farah Abu Sariya فرح ابو سرية
13 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 430131938

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9
  • (4 children2 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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
    Healthcare
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abdalkarim Raed
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palastine Biladi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Naderabu.serieh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Naderabu.serieh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Naderabu.serieh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fouad Abu Sariya
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fouad Abu Sariya
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fouad Abu Sariya
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fouad Abu Sariya

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9
  • (4 children2 women3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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
    Healthcare
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]