Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISLB230924l

Incident date

September 23, 2024

Location

بلدة طاريا بعلبك - الهرمل, Taraya, Baalbek - Al-Hermel, Lebanon

Geolocation

33.982828, 36.022786 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least 11 civilians, all members of the Hamiya family, were reported killed after an alleged Israeli airstrike on the town of Taraya in the Bekaa region of southern Lebanon on September 23rd, 2024.

While one source alleged “others were wounded” and another claimed “50” had been injured, it is unclear whether these injuries occurred in the same strike, or happened throughout the day. This high injury count has been included in the upper Airwars range only. Names of the injured were not made publicly available. The strike was reported as “targeting two neighboring houses.”

From the Hamiya family, Nihad Muhammad Ali Abdullah Hamiya was killed with his wife Hajj Faqih. Another relative, Qasim Bahij Muhammad Ali Abdullah Hamiya was killed, as was Hussein Muhammad Ali Khalil Hamiya. Hussein’s wife, Marwa Imad al-Khatib, was also killed, as was their son, Muhammad Hussein Hamiya. Duraid Hosni Hamiya was killed with his two daughters, Latifa Duraid Hosni Hamiya and Ghazala Duraid Hosni Hamiya. A child named Hosni Ibn Ghassan Bou Hassan Hamiya, and Hasna Muhammad Ali Abdullah Hamiya were also reported killed.

Facebook user Souad Ayoub, writing on behalf of “the administration of Shamstar Ideal School” grieved the loss of its “honorable educator” Ghazala Duraid Hamiyah, attaching a smiling photograph of the teacher.

Friend Aly Zaiter, remembering Qasim, asked that “God have mercy on [his] soul….By the life of God,” Zaiter wrote, “my heart hurts!” Attached was a screenshot from a memorial video honouring Qasim. The video, shared by other mourners, opens with Qasim singing a prayer (“To God we belong and to Him we shall return,” from Sarah al-Baqarah 156). The video, compiled of clips, shows Qasim with sheep and dogs, indicating he may have been a shepherd.

Other posts remembering Duraid Hamiya referred to him as “Hajj”, indicating that he may have completed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. An elderly man, friends remembered trying to dissuade Duraid from smoking. Karam Hamié spoke to these efforts: “I tried to discourage him from smoking his cigarette, and he had just returned from the hospital. He smiled after a sudden coughing fit, then he lit his cigarette and smiled again, saying: ‘Nothing is worth it, I only have a few days left.’” Karam remembered  “jokingly” taking a photograph of Duraid, cigarette in hand, but grieved that “he really did not stay for long, so [he] left today with his two daughters, his daughters’ sons, and others.”

A Facebook page for the town of Kafr Zabad in Central Bekaa remembered Marwa and her family. Considering her a “daughter,” the town indicated that funeral plans were being set. A photograph was attached of Marwa hugging an infant, likely her son Muhammad.

Relative Ragheb Sulaiman Hamiyeh posted a video of funeral prayers and proceedings on Facebook. Ragheb also posted memorial videos of each of his killed family members, asking that “God have mercy” on them. Posts from the “Hamwand tribe in Iraq and Kurdistan” also sent condolences “to the Hamwand family in Lebanon”.

In one photograph compilation of the deceased, a young boy – possibly Hosni Ibn Ghassan Bou Hassan Hamiya – is seen holding what appears to be a gun. However, given the age of the child and the context provided by the sources and in wider context of the conflict, Airwars researchers deem it insufficient evidence at this time to link the individual to an armed group.

Amongst memorial posts, there was reference to a “Colonel Abu Shehab” made by Facebook user Ragheb sulaiman hamiyeh, but this descriptor was not otherwise connected to any of the named individuals in the incident. Beyond the image of a young boy with a weapon mentioned above, there were no mentions of militancy or allegations of militant status. Airwars has included an estimated belligerent range of 0-1 to account for this uncertainty.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (11)

Nihad Muhammad Ali Abdullah Hamiya نهاد محمد علي عبدالله حمية
Adult male killed
Hajj Faqih وفيقة
Adult female killed
Qasim Bahij Muhammad Ali Abdullah Hamiya قاسم بهيج محمد علي عبدالله حمية
Adult male killed
Hussein Muhammad Ali Khalil Hamiya حسين محمد علي خليل حمية
Adult male killed
Marwa Imad al-Khatib مروى عماد الخطيب
Adult female killed
Muhammad Hussein Hamiya محمد حسين حمية
Child male killed
Duraid Hosni Hamiya دريد حسني حمية
Adult male killed
Latifa Duraid Hosni Hamiya لطيفة دريد حسني حمية
Adult female killed
Ghazala Duraid Hosni Hamiya غزالة دريد حسني حمية
Adult female killed
Hosni Ibn Ghassan Bou Hassan Hamiya حسني ابن غسان بو حسن حمية
Child male killed
Hasna Muhammad Ali Abdullah Hamiya حسنة محمد علي عبدالله حمية
Adult female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Tarya (طاريّا), for which the generic coordinates are: 33.982828, 36.022786. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11
  • (2 children5 women4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–50
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (79) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (30) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Souad ayoub
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    Source: Ali zaheer hamiyeh
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    Source: Ahmed hamieh
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    Source: Hassan ali rameh hamiya
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    Source: Mounir hm
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    Source: Taria city
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    Source: Aly zaiter
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    Source: Aly zaiter
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    Source: Ali zaheer hamieh
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    Source: Karam hamie
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    Source: Bekaa news
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    Source: Barelias families
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    Source: Hajeh nawzad
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    Source: Hajeh nawzad
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    Source: Hajeh nawzad
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    Source: Hozihamawand
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    Source: Hozihamawand
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Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11
  • (2 children5 women4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–50
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (79) [ collapse]