(Previous Incident Code: ISPT159 )

A family of three children and their father were killed, and another child was injured, in alleged Israeli airstrikes or misfired Palestinian rockets that struck their home east of Al-Bureij Refugee Camp on August 7, 2022. The father was announced as being a member of the al-Qassam Brigades.

The Jerusalem Post reported that according to information released by Hamas and Palestinian media, as well as statements made by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, a misfired Palestinian Islamic Jihad explosive struck a house in Bureij, killing two 13-year-old twins and a 9-year-old and injuring their father, who later died from his injuries. The father, Yasser Nimr Al-Nabahin, was memorialized by Hamas’s military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and was referred to as “al-Qassam mujahid” (holy warrior). Jerusalem Post quoted Shehab News, who they said posted images of the four deceased family members draped in Hamas flags during their funeral, and the Associated Press, who they said reported that Nabahin was an off-duty “Hamas-affiliated” policeman, as well as Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), who previously stated that Hamas police serve in a “dual function” with the al-Qassam Brigades, “de facto still part of Hamas combat troops, participating in military activity against the IDF.”

Shms News provided the names and ages of the four people killed in the incident: Muhammad Yasser Nimr Al-Nabahin, 13 years old; Ahmed Yasser Nimr Al-Nabahin, 9 years old; Dalia Yasser Nimr Al-Nabahin, 13 years old; Yasser Nimr Mahmoud Al-Nabahin, 45 years old. The correspondent of “Khabar” agency stated that in addition to three people killed, there were “a number of injuries”.

The Palestinian Police Command released a statement mourning the death of “Major Yasser Nimr Al-Nabahin”. 29.October Media published a video on Youtube with an image of the father that was killed, referring to him as “preacher Skeikh Yasser Nimr Al-Nabahin”.

Mondoweiss provided more details about the family killed: the father Yasser was a captain of Gaza’s nautical police and his son Bilal said that “He had an honorable career of heroism and fighting against the occupation.” Yasser had a garden in the front of his home and on the day that he was killed, “decided to go sit in his garden, and received one relative visiting from the house next door. After the guest left, Yasser started watering the trees with his sons. The airstrike targeted them all.” Of his eight children, two girls and two boys survived because they were in the house but one of the children was injured.

Muhammad dreamed of becoming a traveling merchant and in the summers he would make kites and sell them to the kids in the neighborhood. His older brother Bilal described him as “He had a kind, soft heart.”

Ahmad was the youngest boy among his siblings, and wise beyond his years, and his brother Bilal described him as “I always saw him as a little man, he was like a friend. Even though he was the youngest, he was tougher and braver than all the other brothers.”

Dalia reportedly wanted to become a doctor, and the family used to call her “the doctor of the family” to encourage and support her to follow her dreams. Her brother Bilal said she was an excellent student, loved painting, and used to help her mother around the house while her other sisters were studying, and said  “She loved her family, and never complained.”

Various sources that reported on the incident, including @PalinfoAr and @ShehabAgency, attributed the strikes to Israel. However, Jerusalem Post blamed Palestinian Islamic Jihad for the deaths due to a misfired rocket.