During the evening of 25 September 2024 an alleged Israeli airstrike near the Younin highway in the northern Beqaa Valley in the Baalbek District  of Lebanon killed twenty-three members of the Qader family and injured at least eight others.

The Qader family, of Syrian origin and originally from the Kaljabrin area to Aleppo’s north, was headed by patriarch Hussein Abdul Majid Sheikh Abdul Qader who was killed with his son, Abdul Majid Hussein Sheikh Abdul Qader. Abdul Majid’s wife, Ghazala Mustafa Sheikh Abdul Qader and their three children* were also killed. While two of Hussein and Ghazala’s children died in the strike, the third was severely injured and succumbed to their injuries eight days later.

Hussein’s daughter Ghosoun Hussein Sheikh Abdul Qader was killed with her husband Adnan Hassan Sheikh Abdul Qader and four children*, including Hassan Adnan Sheikh Abdul Qader. Both Adnan and Ghousoun were removed from under debris the day after the strike.

Hussein’s daughter Manal Hussein Sheikh Abdel Kader was killed with her four children*, including daughter Khadija Abdul Majid Sheikh Abdul Qader.

Adnan’s brother Bassam Hassan Sheikh Abdul Qader was killed with his wife Amira Mustafa Sheikh Abdul Qader and their three children*. Amira was found the day after the strike. Adnan and Bassam’s brother Abdul Majid Hassan Abdul Qader was also among those killed.

Three members of the family – including two children – survived the attack, as did others who were outside the building at the time of the strike. These include Ali al-Nimr, the son of the building’s owner, Hussein Ali Yaghi and Qasim Ghosn. It is unclear if those described as surviving the attack were injured and therefore have not been included among injuries. A total number of 24 members of the Abdul Qader family were killed, a relative told Human Rights Watch.

A video compilation shared by Facebook user Abu Ahmad Abualiman showed photographs and video clips of members of the Qader family. The post includes group photographs, as well as videos of male family members dancing the dabke, a popular group dance typically performed at joyous occasions.

Akad Arabic News specified that the Qader family had been living in the three-storey building for “years” and worked in “stone cutting and installation”. A photograph shared by Twitter/X user @diaa_audi showed the destruction of the residence, next to a photograph of eight children of the Qader family.

Prayers for the family were plentiful, with friends asking that they be allowed to “dwell […] in the gardens of eternity, join them with the righteous and those who win the gardens of bliss”. One such prayer, shared by Facebook user Abu yousef al-akidi al-jaber, was followed by several photographs of the family. Adept at horse riding, two of the photos feature members of the family on horses.

A photograph shared by Facebook user Ahmad azz-aldeen showed volunteers building graves for the deceased. An attached video shows the plots filled with shroud-covered bodies.

Along with the Qader residence being destroyed, Twitter/X user @news_hadeel claimed the strike “targeted” a gas station on the highway. @ma32oul2 further stated that the strike occurred “near the mosque”.

Photographs shared post-strike show the damage wrought by the incident. One car has been destroyed, with dust covering two other vehicles; debris is littered across the ground. A video shared by Facebook user Bissan FM shows the destruction in starker relief.

Al-Nabk news confirmed that “relief teams of the municipality of Younine, in cooperation with the Islamic Health Authority, the Civil Defense and the Red Cross, completed the rescue work and the removal of rubble” following the strike. Al-Nabk, quoting Younin mayor Ali Qassas, wrote that there were “8 wounded” – four of Lebanese nationality and four of Syrian nationality – in addition to the deceased. Twitter/X user @alestiklal claimed 18 had been wounded.

Injuries were described as ranging from “minor” to “serious”. The serious injuries were described as severe enough to lead to possible death.

*Numerous sources reported that children were among the victims, but open sources did not provide ages for the named victims. As such, the maximum children killed has been quantified by including all of the youngest generation of each family, designated by the (*)

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