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Airwars Assessment
On Monday, 16 March 2026, one woman was killed when an alleged Iranian missile struck her civilian car in the Al-Bahia area of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The killed civilian was identified as a 34-year-old Palestinian woman named Alaa Nader Awni Mushtaha, who lived in the UAE. Alaa was a Palestinian citizen and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement mourning her death.
Reports stated that Alaa was working as a teacher in the UAE, having previously attended the Islamic University of Gaza, graduating from the Business Administration Department at the College of Economics and Administrative Sciences according to Dr. Kholoud al-Fleit on Facebook. Alaa’s own personal Facebook account also stated that she attended the Islamic University of Gaza.
A photo posted on Facebook by @Noureldin S. Al Omar shows Alaa wearing a black hijab and smiling at the camera. Alaa’s father described her as the “heart and soul of the home” and someone who was a dedicated Muslim that cared greatly for her family and neighbours. Two sources also claimed that Alaa’s sister was killed in Gaza at the beginning of the conflict with Israel, adding to the grief experienced by the Mushtaha family.
According to Emarat Al Youm news outlet, “his Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development Affairs and Families of Martyrs, offered his condolences on the death of Palestinian Alaa Nader Awni Mushtaha.”
@Noureldin S. Al Omar wrote an emotional tribute to Alaa on Facebook:
“She and her family lost their sister, martyred in Gaza during the Israeli aggression, which was effectively orchestrated by Iran. Then, she herself was martyred in the UAE as a result of a brutal Iranian attack. Her story encapsulates profound human anguish, as the pain extended from Gaza, Palestine, to the UAE. The heartbreaking story of this martyr will forever stand as a testament to the price paid by innocent people in these conflicts. May God have mercy on the martyrs and grant healing to the wounded.”
Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the attack to the Iranian military.