On September 24, 2024, an alleged Israeli strike hit the town of Ainatha in southern Lebanon, killing three civilians: a couple, Douaa Mousa Khanafer and Hussein Ali Muhsen, and their son, Ali Hussein Mohsen. Four militants were also reported killed: Fouad Shafiq Khazaal Khanafer, Abbas Ibrahim Sharaf al-Din, Ali Ahmed Bassam, and Hussein Muhammad Baydoun.

Those killed in the strike were all identified in a number of social media posts, including on behalf of the Ainatha branch of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, although no single post provided an exhaustive list of the casualties.

There were no details on the nature of the strike itself, beyond references to “Israeli raids” in posts made by Lebanon News and Bintjbeil.org, as well as others.

Fouad Shafiq Khazaal Khanafer was referred to in a post by Asaad Abu Juma as a Hezbollah “commander” and as a “field commander,” while Abbas Ibrahim Sharaf al-Din was referred to as a Hezbollah member and as a “mujahid” in a post by Zouhair Tabaja. Both men were pictured in Hezbollah portraits typically released by the group after militants are killed.

Although not pictured in portraits, Ali Ahmed Bassam and Hussein Muhammad Baydoun were categorised in the Amal Movement’s post together with Fouad Shafiq Khazaal Khanafer, suggesting that they were combatants as they were separated from the civilian casualties.

In contrast, Duaa Musa Khanafer, was specifically named in the same post as a “civilian martyr,” alongside her husband Hussein Ali Mohsen, and their son, Ali Hussein Mohsen, who was an infant. In a photograph shared by multiple sources, Duaa is seen smiling, clad in a black khimar, with her husband, Hussein, who has his arm around her. A picture of Ali was also shared; asleep, he appears under one year old.

Where sources identified a belligerent, all named the Israeli military.