Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISLB230924zk

Incident date

September 23, 2024

Location

بلدة كوثرية السياد, The town of Kawthriya Al-Sayyad, Lebanon

Geolocation

33.414779, 35.384253 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On September 23, 2024, seven members of the same family, including two children and three women, were killed in an alleged Israeli strike on the town of Kawthriya al-Sayyad in Lebanon.

A local headteacher, Suzy Ahmad Kajak was killed alongside her father, Ahmad Kajak, her mother, Haifa, her sister, Dr. Farah Ahmad Kajak, her brother-in-law (Farah’s husband), Ali Ibrahim Makki, and her nieces (Farah and Ali’s children), Fatima Ali Makki and Jude Ali Makki.

ِA post by Achrafieh News referred to airstrikes as the cause of their deaths. The photo posted alongside Achrafieh News’ statement would indicate that it took place before sunrise that day.

Almost all of the social media posts claimed that seven family members were killed, with some referring to the “entire family” killed, and referred to each by name and/or their association to Suzy, Ahmad, or Farah Kajak.

May Chalhoub posted a statement from the Basic Education Teachers Association, which remembered Suzy Kajak as a “successful, virtuous, and active principal” of Kawthriya Al-Sayyad Official School and included a smiling photo of her. A colleague of Suzy named Hassan Mohsen also referred to her as a “distinguished and worthy principal.”

Mohammed Baqer Harb, who accompanied the family on a pilgrimage to Iran in 2018, remembered nothing but “faith, love, good treatment, and noble morals,” as well as “many good memories and good influences.”

Suzy’s sister, Dr. Farah Kajak was also memorialised in a statement by her employer, the El Jieh Power Plant, which announced her death, and praised her “an active and loyal engineer, highly efficient and dedicated to her work. She always sought to achieve the best through work development and innovation, which left an unforgettable mark on her professional life among all her colleagues and those who worked with her..”

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

The incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (7)

Ahmed Kajak أحمد كجك
Adult male killed
Haifa هيفاء
Adult female killed
Suzy Ahmad Kajak سوزي أحمد كجك
Adult female killed
Dr. Farah Ahmad Kajak فرح أحمد كجك
Adult female killed
Ali Ibrahim Makki علي إبراهيم مكي
Adult male
Fatima Ali Makki فاطمة علي مكي
Child female killed
Jude Ali Makki جود علي مكي
Child female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Kawthriya al Sayyad (كوثرية السياد), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.414779, 35.384253. 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 harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (2 children3 women2 men)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Echo of Dahieh Page Telgram
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: May Chalhoub
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: Achrafiehnews News
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ali H Kojok
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: May Chalhoub
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: El Jieh Power Plant
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Baqer Harb
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Maha Broum
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Said Haydar
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Saja.kojok

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (2 children3 women2 men)
  • 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]