On Tuesday, October 10th 2023, between 12 and 13 members of the al-Hasanat family, including at least two women and five children of whom one was a 9 month old infant, were reportedly killed, and several others were injured after an alleged Israeli bombing of the home of the al-Hasanat family in the center of al-Mughraqa village, north of Al-Nuseirat camp, central Gaza Strip. Another member of the family was killed, and he has been recorded as a militant.

When Airwars first published this incident on January 1, 2024, no open sources were found to suggest that 32-year old Musab Badr al-Hasanat was a militant. As such, Musab was recorded as a civilian. This was in line with Airwars’ methodology which is employed across all conflicts we document, and informed by international standards regarding the ‘presumption of civilian status‘. Specifically, as outlined by the International Committee of the Red Cross, civilian status is assumed until evidence is identified to the contrary.

However, on June 18, 2026, sarayamirror, a Telegram account associated with PIJ, posted a tribute to Musab Badr al-Hasanat naming him as a militant. As such, his civilian status has been updated to militant, and the minimum number of civilians recorded as killed in this incident was changed from four to three.

All the victims killed belonged to the family of a well known Palestinian preacher Mahmoud al-Hasanat who was not harmed in the attack. He was quoted as stating that his four uncles, another uncle and the uncle’s 9 month old grandson, and his cousin and the cousin’s five children were killed, and that his sister and the rest of his family members were injured.

Tributes poured in on social media from friends and relatives grieving the loss, and Moataz al-Hasanat, a relative of the family, posted the names of the identified victims on social media.

An elderly 64 year old Muhammad Zaal al-Hasanat (Abu Hazem) who was the uncle of the preacher Mahmoud al-Hasanat was killed together with his 9-month old grandson Anas Tariq al-Hasanat.

A 45-year old Jebrel Salem al-Hasanat who was mentioned in social media tributes as a cousin of Mahmoud al-Hasanat was killed together with his 41-year old wife Sanaa al-Hasanat, and their four children – sons Malek Jebrel al-Hasanat*, Salem Jebrel al-Hasanat*, and Baraa Jebrel al-Hasanat* and their 13-year old daughter Malak (Malik) Jebrel Al Hasanat. In a heartfelt Facebook testimony by Nasser Al Hasanat one can see a picture of the four smiling young children of the late Jebrel. Some sources (Newturkpost.com) indicated that his five children were killed, but the name of the fifth son was not indicated.

The bombing also took lives of the four brothers who were mentioned in social media posts as uncles of the Mahmoud al-Hasanat  – a 38-year old Mourai (Mar’i) Badr al-Hasanat, a 30-year old Muhammad Badr al-Hasanat, and a 27-year old Izz (Azz) al-Din Badr al-Hasanat as well as of the wife of Muhammad Badr al-Hasanat. The article by newturkpost.co features the image of the preacher Mahmoud al-Hasanat in a white Taqiyah and images of his four deceased uncles.

The al-Mezan Center reported on “several series of raids on neighborhoods, residential apartments, and agricultural lands, which continued until this morning” allegedly carried out by Israeli forces, which reportedly “coincided with intense bombardment from artillery and naval battleships”, adding that these attacks were on densely populated residential neighborhoods and camps, and that this led to the destruction of the al-Hasanat home among others.

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

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces. According to the local source Muhammad Ghazali, a neighbor of the family, the attack happened without prior warning.

*Airwars has quantified them as children based on images and ages of family members.