Around noon on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, an Israeli airstrike allegedly killed at least seven aid workers and injured at least 18 others in the Saftawi area, north of Gaza City.

The victims identified by local sources as killed were 38-year-old Hassan Muhammad Hassan Shaheen (Abu Islam), 22-year-old Musa Kamal Musa Safi, 37-year-old Ahmed Abu Sinan (Abu al-Baraa), 30-year-old Alaa Abu Murad, Shaaban Rayhan, and 39-year-old Mohammed Khaled Abu Nada (Abu Saleh), who was killed with his brother, 35-year-old Jihad Khaled Abu Nada (Abu Malik).

The Palestinian Press Agency (Safa News) first reported the incident, claiming that an Israeli aircraft “targeted aid workers in the Saftawi area”, killing seven and injuring “around” 20. The Palestinian Media Centre, through its official Twitter / X account (@PalinfoAr), stated that 18 injured people were transferred to the Sheikh Radwan Clinic.

Other sources would later set a higher death toll on the incident. Facebook user Talal Sharshara shared an incident timeline, pointing out that nine “martyrs” were killed at the Saftawi junction. The Facebook account Amjaad News claimed that ten people were killed, but the post included just seven names. Multiple sources including @Sa7atPlBreaking specified that the seven people killed were aid security personnel.

Graphic images from the aftermath of the attack circulated online. One photo shows several bodies lying on the ground, covered in blood. In the upper part of the frame, two middle-aged men lean against a wall, one positioned in a way that suggests he is not conscious. Below him, another body lies with its legs appearing broken, twisted into an improbable position. On the right, a body rests on two large white sacks, both stained with blood. On the lower part of the frame, another body drenched in blood lies on the ground, beside what seems to be the leg of a sixth victim.

A second photo shows three bodies loaded into the back of a blue pickup truck. One of them, a middle-aged man wearing a blue shirt with white stripes, is heavily covered in blood and appears to be the same man seen at the lower edge of the first photograph.

Another of the photographs shared, among others, by the Twitter / X account @Sa7atPlBreaking, shows a street surrounded by ruins, with a cloud of smoke rising in the centre of the frame in what appears to be the site of the strike.

Friends and families of the victims mourned their loved ones on social media. Facebook user Zyaid Hasouna expressed his grief in a poem dedicated to Alaa Abu Murad: “The beloved Abu Osama departed, leaving behind…A deep wound from which my tears flowed…Or is this how life is cruel, embracing me…” He shared a photo of himself with Alaa Abu Murad, who is wearing a light green shirt, both smiling at the camera.

Facebook user Basel Salem also shared a photo of his friend, Alaa Abu Murad, wearing a dark grey coat and shirt. “Shocking news of the martyrdom of my dear friend”, he wrote. “Oh God, Lord, you have tired us out.”

“Today we bid farewell to two of the family’s most beloved children”, wrote Majd Abo Nada, expressing deep sorrow for the death of his cousins, Mohammed Abu Nada and Jihad Abu Nada, noting that their father was also a “martyr”. “We ask God to inspire my aunt and the families of the martyrs with patience in their loss”, he concluded, sharing a photo of his relatives. In the image, Mohammed and Jihad sit together in front of a table, Mohammed Abu Nada wearing a light blue polo shirt, Jihad Abu Nada a striped white and navy blue shirt.

Facebook user Mahmoud Saeed Al-Sarsawi shared a selfie of the two brothers, both wearing black coats. “The passing of the two beloved friends, companions of school, university, and beyond”, he lamented.

“By God, we do not know how to send you off, my love”, wrote Abu Majdi Jihad Shaheen as a farewell message to Hassan Shaheen. He shared a photo of his relative wearing a white shirt and a grey blazer. Another image presents a stark contrast: it shows Hassan Shaheen’s body, his face covered in blood, eyes closed.

“Words fail, and pens have dried up. Today I lost my soul and my heart.”, expressed Mohamed Nabil Youssef with regret. “The most precious person I have known in this world, Hassan Muhammad Shaheen”, he wrote, mentioning that he had been a “companion” in “every moment” of his life.

Hassan Shaheen’s cousin, Mohamed Shahen, wrote a heartfelt message on Facebook: “My beloved Hassan, my friend, my companion, and my cousin who was the first to rush to relieve my distress…” He noted that Hassan Shaheen’s brother, Youssef, was also killed just “a few days ago”. “The two beloved ones attained martyrdom while striving to provide food for the people, doing good, and supplying them with water without charge. These two brothers, who embarked on the path of heroism and refused to sit with the idle”, he continued.

User Abouans Aziz also lamented Hassan Shaheen’s death, pointing out that he was “martyred” while helping with the dire situation in Gaza. “Brother Hassan Shaheen was among those martyred today in Saftawi while securing aid. It has not been two weeks since his brother was martyred while also securing aid”, he lamented.

Mohamed Nabil Youssef described Hassan Shaheen as “the most precious person I have known in this world”, and a “brother” who had been a “companion at every moment” of his life.

“With hearts that believe in God’s will and destiny, and with deep sorrow and grief, I announce the martyrdom of my cousin, Ahmed Abu Sinan (Abu al-Baraa),” wrote user Rashed M Abu Senan on a Facebook mourning post. He included a photo of his cousin wearing a white shirt and black blazer.

Ahmed Abu Sinan’s cousin Hussein Abu Malik shared two photos of him: in one, he wears a black sweatshirt; in the other, he smiles softly at the camera in a blue-and-white shirt. “With hearts that believe in God’s will and destiny, and with deep sorrow and grief, I announce the martyrdom of my cousin,” Hussein wrote.

User Maher Abdel Moneim posted a mourning message for Musa Safi: “With hearts filled with faith and souls content with God’s will and destiny, the Al-Ghanim family extends its deepest condolences to their cousins, the al-Safi family, and to their dear cousin Kamal Musa Abu Bilal Safi and his brothers.” Two photos accompanied the message—one showing Musa in a green long-sleeved shirt, the other at a gym in a blue, white, and red shirt. “We ask God Almighty to bestow His vast mercy and forgiveness upon him, to admit him into His spacious gardens, and to inspire them with patience and solace”, he added.

Where possible, the ages of victims have 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.

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