Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0109

Incident date

October 12, 2023

Location

معن, Ma'an, Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.330061, 34.316744 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

In the early hours of October 12th 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike hit the Al Bashiti family house in the Ma’an area, east of Khan Younis city, in the southern Gaza strip, killing nine members of Al Bashiti family, including two women and six children.

Ahmad Albashti, assumed to be a relative of the family, posted on Facebook that “their home was targeted while they were sleeping”.

The Khan Younis Facebook page wrote that Al Bashiti family members “died at dawn”.  Anadolu Agency reported that eyewitnesses said strike left the house in complete ruins and inflicted damage to nearby buildings.

Initially Shehab News reported five casualties and “a number” of injured civilians. No other sources reported on injuries, therefore Airwars has quantified the injury toll as 2-2. Later Wafa News alongside Ahmad Al Bashiti and Facebook users Mohammed Ziyad and Anwar Abu Fadel reported about nine victims.

55-year old Professor As’ad (Asaad) Hamad Suleiman Al Bashiti (Abu Hammad) was killed together with his wife Aida Al Bashiti Umm Hammad and their four children: their three daughters, 16-year old Amal Asaad Al Bashiti, 13-year old  Zainab Asaad Al Bashiti, and 14-year old Lubna Al Bashiti Umm Khaled; as well as their 9-year old son Mohammed Asaad Al Bashiti.

Among the victims of the attack was also Asaad Al Bashiti’s sister, 54-year old Layla Hamad Suleiman Al Bashiti (Umm Khaled) with her children, a 12-year old daughter named Sondos (Zandus) Ziad Al Bashiti and a son named Hossam Ziad Al Bashiti.

The death of Al Bashiti family members was reported on by their friends, families, and neighbours online. Members of the Al Bashiti family, Mohammad Al Bashiti, Ahmad Al Bashiti, Anwar Abu Fadel, and Hani Al Bashiti posted news of their relatives’ deaths to their accounts. Additionally, the Mesmeh family, the Ma’an family, and the Khan Younis Facebook page offered condolences to the family in online testimonies..

Sondos Al Bashiti was remembered as a “polite student” by the principal of Umm Salamah Basic School and her administrative and teaching staff. Her mother Layla Al Bashiti was a member of the school’s Parents Council. The news of their death was met with “great sadness and sorrow.”

Mohammed Aliwaiti shared his story about Sondos Ziad Al Bashiti. He met the young girl Sondos during his visit to Palestine. Sondos visited him so that she could send a gift and letter for her brother, Ahmed, in Belgium. She wrote in her letter that “she longed to see him” and hug him. Unfortunately, she died before she was ever able to meet her brother.

Abu Sultan remembered Hossam Ziad Al-Bashiti as one of his students in Gaza Strip in a Facebook post, also posting his picture among other students. Adla Awad remembered her colleague Laila Al-Bashiti, Khaled’s mother, and her family in another Facebook testimony.

When sources identified a belligerent, all of them attributed the strike to Israeli forces. The attack happened without prior warning, according to the Anadolu Agency reporter.

Where possible, Airwars has matched names with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of nearly 7000 victims’ names and ID numbers released on October 26th.

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 incident occured around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (9)

 As'ad (Asaad) Hamad Suleiman Al Bashiti (Abu Hammad)  اسعد البشيتي ابو حماد
55 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 979482353
Aida Al Bashiti Umm Hammad عائدة البشيتي ام حماد
Adult female Asaad's wife killed
Amal Asaad Al Bashiti امل اسعد البشيتي
16 years old female Asaad and Aida's daughter killed Matched to MoH ID 424433928
Zainab Asaad Al Bashiti زينب اسعد البشيتي
13 years old female Asaad and Aida's daughter killed Matched to MoH ID 429812720
Lubna Al Bashiti لبنا اسعد البشي
14 years old female Asaad and Aida's daughter killed Matched to MoH ID 429108939
Mohammed Asaad Al Bashiti محمد اسعد البشيتي
9 years old male Asaad and Aida's son killed Matched to MoH ID 433628617
Layla Hamad Suleiman Al Bashiti (Umm Khaled) ليلى البشيتي ام خالد
54 years old female Asaad's sister killed Matched to MoH ID 979482361
Sondos (Zandus) Ziad Al Bashiti سندس زياد البشيتي
12 years old female Layla's daughter killed Matched to MoH ID 431457514
Hossam Ziad Al Bashiti حسام زياد البشيتي
Child male Layla's son killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the area of Ma’an (معن), within the city of Khan Younis (خانيونس), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.330061, 34.316744. 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
    9
  • (6 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (33) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Albashti family facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dentist Hani Albashti facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Maan families facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Mesmeh family facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Anwar Abu Fadel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Anwar Abu Fadel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Anwar Abu Fadel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

    Source: Um Salama facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Um Salama facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Adla Awad facebook
  • 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
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9
  • (6 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]