On March 18, 2025 – the day hostilities resumed following a ceasefire – 36-year-old Walaa Ali Rabie al-Hamas was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Rafah. Her husband, Nael al-Hamas, was injured in the attack along with their children.

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, the name of Walaa was matched to the eighth “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on March 24, 2025.

Friends and family took to social media to mourn the loss of Walaa, who, according to Ahmad Talal al-Hams, “answered the call of her Lord after being bombed by the barbaric Israeli air force.” In his post, he extended his sympathies to the wider family and asked that “God forgive her and have mercy on her.” Another mourner, Mahmoud Alhamss, quoted Quranic verses as he shared news of Walaa’s death. In the post, he stated, “The martyrdom of the dear one to my heart, my sister, Walaa Ali Rabie Al-Hams, has passed away. May Allah have mercy on her and grant her Paradise. O Allah, reward us for our affliction and replace it with someone better.”

Other posts provided updates regarding the injured family members, requesting prayers for their swift recovery and offering words of consolation to Nael and his children. Many messages included expressions of sympathy and wishes for healing as the family dealt with both physical and emotional trauma.

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