On October 20 2023, up to 27 civilians – including 10 women, one of whom was pregnant, and at least 13 children – were killed and at least two were injured, a woman and a child, after an alleged Israeli airstrike on the home of the al-Ayaidi family in Camp 2, Nuseirat, in central Gaza Strip.

Press coverage from Shehab Agency reported that there were both “martyrs and wounded” after  the alleged bombing of the Al-Ayadi residence. Following the strike, according to the Palestinian Information Center, health personnel helped transfer the injured to the al-Aqsa Hospital. A video posted by AwdehTV showed injured children being carried out of an ambulance and into the hospital. However, the exact details of those injured is unknown.

Safa had initially reported that the remains of 11 civilians had been recovered from the al-Ayadi family home. A later statement, made by Shadi al-Ayadi, a surviving member of the family, indicated that 25 civilians had been killed – including his own children. In a video posted to Twitter/X health workers are seen laying rows of bodies inside a tent. Similar scenes were shown by @Sa7atPIBreaking, who posted a video on Twitter/X showing civilians carrying out funeral prayers for sixteen of those killed during the airstrike.

Graphic images were shared online showing killed and wounded civilians following the alleged strike. This includes a post made by @Mkoko121212 which claims to show the remains of a premature foetus that was killed during the incident, possibly Ghada Shahada’s unborn foetus. Twitter/X user @SAZYJOTDPHYPCIN shared an image of a distressed infant, with the caption “a girl was found in good health on agricultural land after she flew dozens of meters due to the intensity of the…bombing of the Al-Aidi family’s home.” The identity of the infant is unknown.

Shadi Al-Ayadi, a surviving member of the family, shared the names of civilians killed during the alleged strike – his mother Fatimah Mahmoud Hasan Al-Ayadi (53) was killed, along with four of her children: her daughter Nadine Ataallah Abdel Rahman Al-Ayadi (19), and her sons Muhammad Ataallah Abdel Rahman Al-Ayadi (14), Ahmed Ataallah Abdel Rahman Al-Ayadi (11) and Rami Ataallah Abdel Rahman Al-Ayadi (34). Mohammad Abu Karam posted a tribute video to Rami, a smiling young man, with the caption “May God have mercy on you Rami.”

The wife of Rami, Raneen Al-Ayadi, was also killed during the incident along with their three children: daughters Maya Rami Ataallah Al-Ayadi (8), and Ghina Rami Ataallah Al-Ayadi (10), and son Iyad Rami Al-Ayadi. The al -Taqwa Educational Center offered condolences to the al-Ayadi family, for the death of Rami and the rest of his family, saying “We knew him for his good manners, taste, and morals.Dear brother / Rami Al-Aidi Abu Iyad..And his dear wife and virtuous mother / Umm Iyad/ And their children, beloved to our hearts, our precious and distinguished students: Ghina.. Maya (Juri)… Iyad” sharing images of the bright young children engaged in recreational sports.

Shadi Al-Ayadi’s sons, both children, were also killed – Amir Shadi Ataallah Al-Ayadi (4) and Rakan Shadi Al-Ayadi. Shadi, director of a cosmetics company Al-Ayadi Protein Karat 24, posted multiple tributes the family members he lost. He shared a video of his son Amir walking home from school, and talking to him. Shadi described Amir as his “friend and companion”, and shy, sensitive and stubborn, who would wake Shadi up with kisses, and who Shadi and his wife would make his favorite sandwich and juice for. Upon his return from school, Shadi recounts that his first question would always be “Where is dad?”. Amir was killed before being able to finish school this year, and Shadi mourned that he never got to say goodbye to him.

He shared images of Rakan, smiling and full of joy, with the heartbreaking caption “My son, the apple of my eye, Rakan, is still asleep under the rubble and has not woken up yet…. Wake him up for breakfast now. Perhaps a miracle will come from the Creator.” He later posted a video of little Rakan falling asleep from a while ago, with the horrifying caption “Today I found his head (skull) on top of our neighbors house after five days. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs…There is no power nor strength except in God…I write while trembling and my tears are like embers from the horror of the scene…Is there more pain and pain than this?” He finally commiserated the death of his youngest son, Rakan, of whom “only a few pieces remained”. In a beautiful tribute, Shadi described the child as a “fierce defender” of his family despite his tender age, if anyone screamed at or was upset at anyone of them. Shadi added “He, his brother, and those with them left without me saying goodbye to them or smelling their scent, and they left me with deep pain and a great, great pain that will accompany me until my death… a pain in the heart.”

Shadi’s father posted to social media saying “My wife, my daughters, my children, their wives, and my grandchildren were all completely martyred, beyond the power of God. May God have mercy on them all. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.” He shared an image of his son, Muhammad, a smiling young boy in a suit, saying “may God have mercy on you, my son, my beloved, my precious…to the eternal gardens my son.”

Also among the dead were Shadi Al-Ayadi’s mother-in-law Widad Jameel Ahmed Abu Shahada (58), and her daughters Fatima Abu Shahada, Mervat Abu Shahada, and Ghadeer Hatem Mohamed Abu Shahada (26). According to Widad’s husband Hatem Abu Mohammad, their son Muhammad’s pregnant wife Ghada Hamd Saleh Abu Shahada (24) was also killed, as well as Widad’s sister Umm Tariq, her niece Ahed, and Widad’s mother Umm Marwan.

Shadi mourned the death of his neighbours Shatha Badir Hussein Al-Ashram (17), and the children Khamis, Yara, Sondos and Areej, as well as the child Ahmed Ammar Ahmed Al-Quraynaawi (11). Rami Jaber posted “ In the hospitality of God, my sisters’ children are martyrs Yara, Khamis, Sondos, Areej.” A social media user Emad J Abushawiesh posted a tribute of Shatha with an image of the young smiling girl in a hijab, noting that she was the daughter of his “friend and neighbor in Deir al-Ashram, Abu Bilal, whose son Bilal was martyred years ago.”

At the time of posting, Shadi Al-Ayadi reported that his wife Zaina, and daughter, Rahaf Shadi Al-Ayadi, were in intensive care, as were his cousins, their children, and his neighbors. Shadi’s father posted saying Rahaf “utters the word “papa”” and has “passed the stage of danger”. He asked for prayers for her mother’s speedy recovery and shared an image of the wounded and shell shocked child on a hospital bed. Shadi posted saying “Rahaf is my eldest daughter…she has a beautiful, cheerful soul and is an outstanding student…praise be to God and she is now in the treatment stage but the pain does not go away.” He goes on to say how she wishes to give her brothers Amir and Rakan chips and a lollipop when she leaves the hospital, and Shadi continues “How will I explain to her? Where do I start? From her brothers, my family, or her uncles whom she adores (they all left and never returned), even her toys and memories were buried under the house, and everything beautiful. But the pain will remain inflamed every day and will not heal. The memories will remain the inflammation accompanying my wound, pain and pain…Prayers for recovery for my daughter and my wife, who is still suffering and struggling with pain in the hospital.”

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

Where sources attributed the strike to a belligerent, all sources blamed the Israeli military.

The current status of Zaina and Rahaf is unknown.