Report of the Independent Task Force on the Application of National Security Memorandum-20 to Israel
In April 2024, the Independent Task Force on the Application of National Security Memorandum-20 to Israel submitted an extensive report to US President Biden detailing a set of cases which it believed presented “compelling and credible evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and/or U.S. military best practices by the Israel Defense Forces”.
The group included former US officials, experts in international law and former US military personnel.
Airwars was cited throughout the document, both in sections pointing to areas where the IDF were not adhering to best practice and where the IDF likely committed violations of international law.
Submitted by the Independent Task Force on 18 April 2024
References 15 incidents
Incident Date
11 December 2023
Incident Code
ISPT1669
Location
Sheik Radwan, Palestinian territories
Shortly before 7:43 AM on Monday, December 11th 2023, a series of alleged Israeli airstrikes hit six homes belonging to the extended Salem family in Sheikh Radwan, killing at least 102 civilians. Airwars was able to identify 104 named victims (102 fatalities, and two others injured), though some local reports put the death toll at …
Summary
Published
1 March 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Healthcare, Residential
Civilians reported killed
102 – 200
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
5 December 2023
Incident Code
ISPT1483
Location
Abu Hosni Street, Palestinian territories
On Tuesday, December 5th, 2023, an Israeli aircraft allegedly bombed the Abu Musabbeh family home containing a bakery located on Abu Hosni Street, in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza Strip, reportedly flattening it to the ground. According to publicly available accounts, this resulted in the deaths of at least 30 and up to more than …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Market, Residential
Civilians reported killed
30 – 51
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Military actors reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
31 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0784
Location
al Muhandeseen Tower, Palestinian territories
On October 31st 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike on the multistorey Al-Muhandeseen Tower (the ‘Engineers Tower’) located east of Nuseirat Camp, Central Gaza, killed between 133 and 164 civilians, including a likely estimate of 67 children. Airwars was able to identify 133 civilians belonging to 14 different families, including 131 individuals where gender and ages …
Summary
Published
1 March 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Apartment Building
Civilians reported killed
133 – 164
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
31 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0783
Location
Jabalia camp, Palestinian territories
On October 31, 2023 confirmed Israeli strikes on the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp killed at least 126 civilians, including 68 children. A further 280 civilians were reported injured by the director of the nearby Indonesian Hospital. A second strike hit the same location the following day, though the full casualty assessment for that incident …
Summary
Published
1 November 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
126 – 143
Civilians reported injured
280
Military actors reported killed
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
18 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0315
Location
Jabalia, Palestinian territories
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 18th, 2023, at least 39 identified civilians, including 11 members of the al-Ashqar family and eight members of the al-Wardeh family, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the two houses in Jabalia al-Badad in the Northern Gaza Strip. Among the victims killed in the airstrike …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
39
Civilians reported injured
3
Military actors reported killed
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
18 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0318
Location
Vicinity of the al Shifa Hospital, Palestinian territories
Around 11:15 in the morning of Wednesday, 18th October 2023, Israeli forces allegedly conducted an airstrike on the Haboush family home located behind al-Shifa medical hospital near the Gaza port, in the north of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 32 identified members of the extended Haboush family, including at least nine women and at …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
32 – 40
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
18 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0329
Location
Sheikh Ajleen, Palestinian territories
Between 30 and 42 people, from a three month old to a 77 year old, were killed and a large number were injured when the home of the Saqa Allah family was reportedly bombed in what was reported to be a “double tap” Israeli airstrike during the night of Wednesday, October 18th 2023. The home …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
30 – 42
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
17 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0297
Location
Al Maghazi Preparatory School for Boys, Palestinian territories
During the afternoon of Tuesday, 17th of October, 2023, at least ten civilians were killed and dozens were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on an UNRWA school located in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip where 4,000 people were taking refuge. However, the death toll may be significantly higher as Twitter/X …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Education
Civilians reported killed
10 – 24
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
17 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0286
Location
Batn al Sameen, Palestinian territories
At dawn on Tuesday, October 17th, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike hit a five-storey residential building, where at least nine families reportedly lived. At least six civilian members of the Zorob family along with at least 18 other civilians were killed, while at least four civilians were injured – including children. A seventh member of …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
23 – 30
Civilians reported injured
4
Military actors reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
17 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0283
Location
Khan Younis refugee camp, Palestinian territories
At 4:30 am on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, between 15 and 40 civilians were killed and dozens more were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike that hit the al-Lamdani family house in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Facebook posts by family members reported the names of the civilians that were killed: …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
IDP or Refugee Camp, Residential
Civilians reported killed
15 – 41
Civilians reported injured
12 – 24
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
14 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0195
Location
Al Shati Camp, Palestinian territories
At least 18 people were killed and 100 others were wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike on Hamid Street, in the al-Shati camp of the Gaza Strip on October 14th, 2023. Many of the victims were members of the al-Ghoul family. The al-Ghoul family lost 11 relatives in the bombing. Hatem Jumaa al-Ghoul (51) was …
Summary
Published
1 January 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
IDP or Refugee Camp, Residential
Civilians reported killed
18 – 28
Civilians reported injured
100
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
14 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0241a
Location
Deir Al Balah, Palestinian territories
At least 37 people were killed, including 17 children and 12 women, and at least four others were injured, including three children and a woman, after an alleged Israeli airstrike on a home on Abu Arif Street in the Deir Al Balah region of Gaza on the afternoon of October 14th, 2023. Most of those …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
37
Civilians reported injured
4
Military actors reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
14 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0194
Location
Vicinity of al Fakhoura School, Palestinian territories
During the evening of Saturday, October 14th, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Al-Herbawi family home and the homes adjacent to it in the Al-Fakhoura neighborhood west of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip reportedly killed at least 34 civilians belonging to at least five different families, including at least 12 women …
Summary
Published
1 February 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
34
Civilians reported injured
80 – 101
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
12 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0135
Location
Al Awda Street, Palestinian territories
On the afternoon of October 12th 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike hit several houses in Jabalia in northern Gaza, killing between 54 and 63 civilians, including up to 24 children, and injuring at least six others, including a child. A Hamas fighter and Islamic Jihad leader were also reportedly killed. Many of the other individuals …
Summary
Published
1 December 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
54 – 63
Civilians reported injured
6
Military actors reported killed
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
9 October 2023
Incident Code
ISPT0044
Location
market in the center of Jabalia camp, a residential building at the intersection of Al-Ternis Street, vicinity of an UNWRA-led school, Palestinian territories
Between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Monday, October 9, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike on a market and a residential building located at the intersection of Al-Ternis Street in the middle of Jabalia refugee camp resulted 63 to 73 civilians killed, including at least 21 children and seven women, and “hundreds” of wounded. Airwars identified …
Summary
Published
8 October 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Market, IDP or Refugee Camp, Residential, Car, Education, Shop
Civilians reported killed
63 – 73
Civilians reported injured
100 – 200
Military actors reported killed
5
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military