Conflict

Israel and Gaza

Incident Code

ISPT0055

Location

مخيم البريج, Al Bureij camp, Deir Al Balah, Palestinian territories

Geolocation

31.437934, 34.403857
Accuracy: Town

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

On October 9th, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike on a residential house located east of the al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip killed a woman, Ola Ziyad Abdel Aziz (also referred to as Ola Abdel Aziz Abdeen), and her four sons – Areej, Muhammad, Adam, and Qais. Only one source, Shehab Agency, also mentioned a number of injuries but provided no further details on the exact number or identity of those wounded.

Most accounts of the deadly bombing come from social media posts by family members, memorializing Ola and her children. Ola’s brother, Amir Ziad, has mourned the death of her sister and his four nephews “with great sadness and grief.” Her cousin Maram Qassem and her uncle Abed Abu Adnan also honoured the memory of Ola and her children in Facebook posts. “With great sadness, I mourn my niece,” the post by Abed Abu Adnan reads. “I can only say: We belong to God and to Him we shall return.” Ola’s friend Mariam Hayati mentioned that her “dear friend and sister” Ola had “passed away””. The age of the victims was not provided by the sources.

The exact time of the strike is unknown, and there is also some ambiguity as to the location of the affected house. The family members refer to the home as “east of Bureij”, while Shehab Agency and Facebook user Khamis Husein said the strike took place in Bureij.

Only one source, Shehab Agency directly attributed the strike to the Israeli military.

Victims

Family members (5)

Ola Ziyad Abdel Aziz علا ابو زايد عبدالعزيز
Adult female killed
Areej اريج
Child male Ola's son killed
Muhammad محمد
Child male Ola's son killed
Adam ادم
Child male Ola's son killed
Qais قيس
Child male Ola's son killed

Key Information

Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike
Strike Status
Single source claim
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
5
4 Children, 1 Woman
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Al Bureij camp (مخيم البريج), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.437934, 34.403857. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Israeli Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Israeli Military
Israeli Military position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (4)