On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at least 11 civilians were killed and at least 30 wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike which hit Al-Hurriya School, located in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City. According to multiple sources, the school was being used as a shelter for many displaced people at the time of the attack.

Local sources, including family members, identified six of the victims, including five men and one woman. Safhat Al Arafat Alkiram shared a list, identifying four of his family members as killed during the attack, including 47-year-old Kamal Saber Arafat, 41-year-old Mahmoud Jumaa Arafat, 64-year-old Farahat Suliman Arafat as well as his 28-year-old relative Amena Suliman Arafat. Also killed were 44-year-old Raed Sameer al-Harazen and 17-year-old Abdullah Awad Qadom.

While some sources reported casualties without providing specifics, most sources agreed that at least 11 people were killed during the attack.

While several sources mentioned injuries, the exact number remains unclear. Some sources referenced multiple injuries without providing specifics; however, Safa News reported that 30 people were injured during the attack. This was corroborated by Facebook users Fatma Al Zahraa Omar and Basem Alnadi, stating that there were “11 martyrs and 30 injuries in the bombing of the Al-Hurriya School.” Different sources, including Twitter/X user @Hakem_ps, wrote that many of the injured were transferred to the Baptist Hospital.

Family members and friends mourned the loss on social media, sharing pictures and tributes to the deceased and wounded. Many remembered Kamal Saber Arafart, with images shared of him, sporting a black t-shirt, during the university graduation of a family member.

Dr. Nisreen Mansour mourned the loss of his cousin Raed Sameer al-Harazen on Facebook, writing: “May God have mercy on you, Raed (Abu Samir), and accept you and make you one of the inheritors of Paradise.”

He also shared a picture of Raed, a young lawyer, smiling at his desk. The same image was also shared by Facebook users Atef Sokr and Mohammed Saigali, who also shared heartfelt tributes. Mohammed Saigali wrote: “My beloved and the joy of my heart, my equal/ Raed Al-Harazin (Abu Sameer) has ascended. The eye sheds tears and the heart grieves, and we are truly saddened by your departure, Abu Sameer. All the words of condolence do not do you justice, for you were a shining lamp for us, a man of virtue, high ambition, and great humility. I have known nothing but good from you, and you were the best support.”

Facebook user Alaa Abed Al Harazeen also mourned Raed Sameer al-Harazen and Abdullah Awad Qudum, sharing separate photographs of a teenage boy wearing a black cap and a middle-aged man in traditional attire at an event.

Visual documentation shared on social media captured the devastation of the airstrike. Images posted by Al Mashhad and Jaridt Al Zaman Al Masri displayed shrouded bodies of the deceased surrounded by mourners praying and paying their respects.

Several pictures posted on Twitter/X and Facebook captured the extensive damage and chaotic aftermath of the strike. Yaser Al-Beik shared an image of men carrying a wounded individual on a stretcher amid rubble, with others searching through debris for survivors. Smoke and dust filled the air and dust and debris covered the ground. Another image, posted by Mada on Facebook, revealed extensive destruction, with multiple fires burning in the ruins of the school.

Regarding the nature of the attack, most sources described the incident as the “bombing” or “targeting” of the school. Twitter/X user @alsahera_ar reported that “Israeli occupation aircraft bombed the school,” an account corroborated by Facebook users such as Mada and the AjyaL Radio Network-ARN.

Where sources identified a belligerent, the attack was attributed to the Israeli military.

All names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the eighth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on October 26, 2023.