Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0096

Incident date

October 10, 2023

Location

جوار مسجد ابو سليم, Vicinity of Abu Saleem mosque, Deir Al Balah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.414496, 34.352518 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On October 10, 2023, 18 civilians, including five children and three women, were killed and 23 others were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the al-Najjar family house in Deir Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Amnesty International found that US-made munitions were likely used in the strike, which Amnesty called “unlawful”.

In a Facebook post by Amjad Abuljoud reported the names of the victims: Suzan Sobhi Abdel Salam al-Najjar (41), Nadeem Suleiman Salman al-Najjar (20), Safaa Suleiman Salman al-Najjar (1), Farah Suleiman Salman al-Najjar (24), Muhammad Shaldan Salman al-Najjar (26), Mahmoud Shaldan Salman al-Najjar (25), Ruba Shaldan Salman al-Najjar (17), Rawan Shaldan Salman al-Najjar (22), Amjad Khattab (Samir Al-Najjar), Rana Ahmed Yacoub (Abdel Majeed Al-Najjar, 23), Moin Suleiman Moin Salman al-Najjar (6), Zain Suleiman Moin Salman al-Najjar (2 months), Jawd Suleiman Moin Salman al-Najjar (4), Abdullah Moin Salman al-Najjar (23), Zuwaid Moin Salman al-Najjar, Salman Amin Salman al-Najjar (32), and Hanan Tabaza al-Najjar (Ahmed Muhammad Al-Najjar, 55). A post by Ahmad Arafat added Youssef Bakr Muhammad Abu Thuraya (30).

Muhammad Salman al-Najjar (Abu Muhammad) who was also killed was identified by multiple sources as a leader in the Al-Quds Brigade.

@PalinfoAr reported that 11 people were killed and that 23 others were injured, though at the time others were still reported missing.

Family and friends mourned the deaths of the victims on social media. Youssef al-Najjar wrote “May God have mercy on you and make you rest in Paradise for all the members of Aalar Shaldan Al-Najjar, and may God give patience to our hearts for saying goodbye.” Alaa Yacoub posted that their cousin Rana Ahmed Yacoub and her five children were among those killed. Ahmad Abed Rabbo identified the home as “Shaldan Al-Najjar’s family home”.

An Amnesty report published in December found that the munitions used were likely US-manufactured JDAMS, likely weighing 2000lbs. Suleiman al-Najjar, whose wife and four children were killed, told Amnesty:

“I was shocked. I rushed home and saw a scene of utter destruction. I could not believe my eyes. Everybody was under the rubble. The house was completely pulverized. The bodies were reduced to shreds.

“Only the body of my son Nadim was recovered whole. My baby girl, Safa, we only found her hand… Now, me and my two surviving sons live in a tent by the ruins of our home. Our lives have been destroyed in a moment. Our family has been destroyed. Something that was unthinkable is now our reality.”

The Amnesty report found no indication of military objectives at the site.

Dar Al-Qanun Law Firm and Legal Consultations posted condolences for Farah al-Najjar, a Sharia lawyer who worked for them.

Several days earlier on October 7th, another 11 members of a family with the name Al-Najjar were also killed in a strike, though the connection to this family is not clear. That incident was assessed separately, in ISPT0002.

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 Al Mezan, no warning was given before the strike.

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 (18)

Suzan Sobhi Abdel Salam Al-Najjar سوزان صبحي عبدالسلام النجار
41 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 931541320
Nadeem Suleiman Salman Al-Najjar نديم سليمان سلمان النجار
22 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 408783173
Safaa Suleiman Salman Al-Najjar صفاء سليمان سلمان النجار
1 years old killed Matched to MoH ID 442816336
Farah Suleiman Salman Al-Najjar فرح سليمان سلمان النجار
24 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 405166133
Muhammad Shaldan Salman Al-Najjar محمد شلدان سلمان النجار
26 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 403070469
Mahmoud Shaldan Salman Al-Najjar محمود شلدان سلمان النجار
25 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 403609662
Ruba Shaldan Salman Al-Najjar ربى شلدان سلمان النجار
17 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 422616128
Rawan Shaldan Salman Al-Najjar روان شلدان سلمان النجار
22 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 407118660
Amjad Khattab امجد خطاب
male killed
Rana Ahmed Yacoub رنا احمد يعقوب
23 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 405942459
Moin Suleiman Moin Salman Al-Najjar معين سليمان معين سلمان النجار
6 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 438219743
Zain Suleiman Moin Salman Al-Najjar زين سليمان معين سلمان النجار
0.2 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 444194104
Jawd Suleiman Moin Salman Al-Najjar جواد سليمان معين سلمان النجار
4 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 441119195
Abdullah Moin Salman Al-Najjar عبدالله معين سلمان النجار
23 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 405844788
Zuwaid Moin Salman Al-Najjar زويد معين سلمان النجار
32 years old male killed
Salman Amin Salman Al-Najjar سلمان امين سلمان النجار
32 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 803294032
Hanan Tabaza Al-Najjar حنان طباز النجار
55 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 931665939
Youssef Bakr Muhammad Abu Thuraya يوسف بكر محمد ابو ثريا
30 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 803810951

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention Deir al Balah (دير البلح). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 31.414496, 34.352518.

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  • Imagery:
    Amnesty International

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    18
  • (5 children3 women9 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    23
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (35) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmad Najjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmad Najjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Hisham Abu Rabee facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nada Raid facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Abdulhamid facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Abdulhamid facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Abdulhamid facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Abdulhamid facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmad Saleem facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmad Saleem facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yousef Alnajjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yousef Alnajjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yousef Alnajjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yousef Alnajjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yousef Alnajjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yousef Alnajjar facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Salem Shaldan facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Salem Shaldan facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Salem Shaldan facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Salem Shaldan facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Salem Shaldan facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Salem Shaldan facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fouad Abu Aljoud facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Maher ABu Asef facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    via Amnesty report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    via Amnesty
    via Amnesty
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    via Amnesty
    via Amnesty
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    via Amnesty
    via Amnesty
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    via Amnesty
    via Amnesty

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
    18
  • (5 children3 women9 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    23
  • 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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (27) [ collapse]