At 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 18th March 2025, an alleged Israeli airstrike struck a tent sheltering displaced persons in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The attack killed three members of the extended Al-Qattati family: 75-year-old Abdul Jabbar Jabr Abdul Jabbar al-Qattati (“Abu Suhail”), his 21-year-old granddaughter Amal Suhail Abdul Jabbar al-Qattati, and his 35-year-old nephew Abdullah Hani Jabr al-Qattati, and injured a number of family members, including a woman, the wife of Abdullah.

According to the reports by the website Genocide in Gaza, the strike occurred without prior warning, killing the three family members instantly. Amal, described as a memorizer of the Qur’an, was engaged to be married after Eid and was a student activist at the Islamic University, serving as Treasurer of the Student Council’s Southern Branch. Abdullah, known as “Abu Yamen,” was a medical analysis professional at Nasser Medical Complex, remembered warmly by colleagues. Professor Abdul Jabbar was regarded as a respected elder of the family.

Where possible, the names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released a number of lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. 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”, which was released on March 24, 2025. The age of Abdul Jabbar has been found by cross-checking names against lists of fatalities shared online by Genocide in Gaza, which has a list of “martyrs” of Israeli forces.

Numerous relatives and community members confirmed the deaths in Facebook tributes and condolence messages. Posts by Qadiah Post, Usama Mohammad Al-Qattati, Acdulkhaleq Al-Qattati, Maisara Mohammed, Omar Hani Al-Qattati, Mohammad Hani Al-Qattati, Almukhtar Zuhair Al-Qatatin, and Yousef Osama consistently reported the three martyrs.

Several accounts, including Mohammad Hani al-qattati on Facebook, also mentioned that other family members and neighbours were injured, including Abdullah’s wife, who was said to be critically wounded.

The Islamic Students Council/South mourned Amal as a leading figure in student activism and a cornerstone of the Quranic Narration Project, calling her a “symbol of resilience and sacrifice.” Tributes from friends described her as a “bride of heaven.” Posts by Amal’s mother, Wala’a Ra’fat, expressed deep grief and highlighted her daughter’s role as a memorizer of the Holy Qur’an and as the “apple of her eye.”

Amal’s fiancé, Shahed Sayyam, mourned his beloved on Facebook: “She was a companion to the soul, a beloved to the heart, and a good helper and companion to the path.”

A friend of Amal, Tasneem Sameer, also shared an emotional tribute to her:  “Amal to me wasn’t just anyone; she was my sister and my love, by God, and I tell my friends and acquaintances about her, and they love her with me. She memorized the Quran, was polite and kind, and she never liked to be happy unless she shared it with me, and I never liked to be happy unless she was with her. We never liked to drink coffee except together, and if she liked something, she would bring me something else. She was very close to me and loved to confide in me, and I never liked anyone to upset her. She is always in my prayers.”  She accompanied the tribute with a collage of photos memorializing their friendship and time together.

The Nasser Medical Complex also issued an official condolence statement for Abdullah, confirming his death as one of their staff. Colleagues and friends, including Omar Adwan, Ahmad Mohamed Abu Wateen, and Mohammed Khaled, shared posts honoring his character and professionalism.

Abdul Jabbar’s son, Mohammad Abduljabbar, who referred to him as Professor, mourned the death of his father on Facebook, noting: “My father, Professor Abdul Jabbar, my eldest brother’s daughter, and my cousin are martyrs.”

Social media sources shared the images of Abdul Jabbar and Abdullah. The late Abdul Jabbar is seen in the image as an elderly man with grey hair and a long grey beard, dressed in a white shirt and a dark grey suit with a striped tie, standing outdoors on a street.  One of Abdullah’s images shows him as a young man in a buttoned-up shirt, sitting in front of the computer. Another image of him shows him wearing glasses and dressed in a medical uniform.

According to the Facebook post by Mohammad Hani Al-qattati, the attack happened at night, at  2 a.m.

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