Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0011

Incident date

October 8, 2023

Location

ابيت حانون, Beit Hanoun, North Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.538582, 34.537000 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On October 8, 2023, Israeli forces reportedly bombed the Shabat family home in Beit Hanoun, killing at least 19 civilians, including 13 children and three women, and trapping an unknown number of others under rubble.

Two sources, Khalid Abdel Rahman alongside Mezan, reported the bombing on October 7 without indicating the time of the attack, while later on, the organisation Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP) claimed that the strike took place on October 8 at 3 am. Other sources reported that rescue efforts were ongoing that same day. Facebook user Tikrit Time alleged that the strike took place without warning.

Radio Alzaytonah and a number of Facebook users subsequently posted details pertaining to the people reportedly killed, listing them as Abdul Khaleq Muhammad Radwan Shabat (1 year old), Radwan Hassan Shabat (64 years old), Naima Jacir Shabat (65 years old), Muhammad Radwan Shabat (34-35 years old), Ibrahim Radwan Shabat (30 years old) ‎Asmaa Ali Shabat (35 years old), Diana Youssef Shabat (33 years old), Hassan Muhammad Shabat (9-12 years old), Layan Abdul Khaleq Shabat (13 years old), Bayan Abdul Qader Shabat (4-7 years old), Abdul Khaleq Khaled Shabat (4-5 years old), Gaith Khaled Shabat (2-3 years old), Muhammad Ibrahim Shabat (3-4 years old), Radwan Abdel Khaleq Shabat (8 years old), Sally Muhammad Radwan Shabat (3 years old), Sarah Muhammad Radwan Shabat (2 years old), Ali Muhammad Radwan Shabat (3 years old). The DCIP reported that two children in neighbouring houses were also killed: 11 to 13-year-old Mohammed Khater Maher al-Kafarneh and 16-year-old Rula Nael Zakaria Naseer. 

Ibrahim Radwan Shabat was identified as the father of three year old Muhammad Ibrahim Shabat. Ibrahim was an employee at Big Market. Abdul Khaleq Khaled Shabat and Gaith Khaled Shabat were identified as siblings.

Reporting on this event, the Arabic-language news channel, Al Ghad TV, claimed, “Our correspondent from Gaza reported that Israeli warplanes bombed a house in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and demolished it on top of its residents.” Regarding those impacted, the outlet stated “Our correspondent confirmed the fall of a number of [dead] as a result of the bombing that targeted a house belonging to the Shabat family, while attempts are currently being made to extract the living from under the rubble of the targeted house.”

In the days that followed this incident, photographs reportedly showing the funerals of those killed and a destroyed building were shared by Facebook users.

On November 17th, a Facebook post from Khalid Abdel Rahman reported that “Three-year-old Palestinian boy Ahmed Shabat, who survived three different Israeli air strikes, cries in pain at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital where he is receiving treatment in Deir al-Balah.” According to the post, Ahmed lost his parents and four of his siblings in the strike on October 7th, and was later injured while sheltering with his uncle in a school in Nuseirat.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

Where possible, names have been matched with the first Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

This incident was updated January 16, 2025 with additional matches from the MoH list, the civilian harm toll was updated, and an additional source was added.

Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (17)

Abdul Khaleq Muhammad Radwan Shabat عبدالخالق محمد رضوان شبات
1 years old male killed
Radwan Hassan Shabat رضوان حسن شبات
66 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 917189169
Naima Jacir Shabat (Kifaya) نعيمة جاسر شبات
65 years old female killed
Muhammad Radwan Shabat محمد رضوان شبات
34 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802006916
Ibrahim Radwan Shabat ابراهيم رضوان شبات
30 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 803752971
Asmaa Ali Shabat اسماء علي شبات
35 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 801922790
Diana Youssef Shabat ديانا يوسف شبات
33 years old female killed
Hassan Muhammad Shabat حسان محمد شبات
10.5 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 434019451
Layan Abdul Khaleq Shabat حسان محمد شبات
13 years old female killed
Bayan Abdul Qader Shabat بيان عبدالقادر شبات
5.5 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 440410504
Abdul Khaleq Khaled Shabat عبدالخالق خالد شبات
4.5 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 441310661
Gaith Khaled Shabat غياث خالد شبات
2.5 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 444961569
Muhammad Ibrahim Shabat محمد ابراهيم شبات
3.5 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 441304821
Radwan Abdel Khaleq Shabat رضوان عبدالخالق شبات
9 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 433272226
Sally Muhammad Radwan Shabat سالي محمد رضوان شبات
3 years old female killed
Sarah Muhammad Radwan Shabat سارة محمد رضوان شبات
2 years old female killed
Ali Muhammad Radwan Shabat علي محمد رضوان شبات
3 years old male killed

The victims were named as:

Mohammad Khater Maher Al-Kafarneh محمد خاطر ماهر الكفارنة
12 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 429432461
Rula Nael Zakaria Naseer رولا نائل زكريا ناصر
16 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 424049237

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the village of Beit Hanoun (ابيت حانون). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 31.538582, 34.537000.

{"type":"FeatureCollection","features":[{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"Exact Location","label-type":"black-white"},"geometry":{"coordinates":[34.537027047317935,31.53862791195216],"type":"Point"}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"A","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"coordinates":[[[34.53652513723196,31.538650165973564],[34.536623778521175,31.538514169092466],[34.5367108149523,31.538561149855482],[34.536612173663144,31.538711982672197],[34.53652513723196,31.538650165973564]]],"type":"Polygon"}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"B","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"coordinates":[[[34.536617976092145,31.538442461566447],[34.536745629525086,31.538333663835445],[34.53686167809991,31.53840537144505],[34.53673982709603,31.53851911443732],[34.536617976092145,31.538442461566447]]],"type":"Polygon"}},{"type":"Feature","properties":{"label":"C","label-type":"white-red","stroke":"#ff0000","stroke-width":1,"stroke-opacity":1,"fill-opacity":0},"geometry":{"coordinates":[[[34.53676013559695,31.538269374207374],[34.536852974455655,31.538113595310108],[34.53702414610416,31.538257010812288],[34.53688198659938,31.538358390603662],[34.53676013559695,31.538269374207374]]],"type":"Polygon"}}]}
  • Imagery:
    Source: Tikrit time facebook

  • Imagery:
    Source: Tikrit time facebook

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Infrastructure
    Residential
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    19
  • (13 children3 women3 men)
  • 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.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (17) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Radio Alzaytonah facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Radio Alzaytonah facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Radio Alzaytonah facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fida Zanin
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Samer Iyad facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Tikrit time facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Tikrit time facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmed Hamad Facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmed Hamad Facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Husam basel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Husam basel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Husam basel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Husam basel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Husam basel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Husam basel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Infrastructure
    Residential
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    19
  • (13 children3 women3 men)
  • 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.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]