Airwars assessment
In the early hours of Wednesday, October 11th 2023, at least six civilians, including at least two children and one woman, were reportedly killed and a number of civilians were injured as a result of an Israeli bombing of a three-story family home in Qaizan Al-Najjar in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, likely belonging to the father of senior Hamas commander Muhammad al-Deif.
Many local sources including Alghad news and @ShehabAgency stated that the bombing destroyed roads and that the number of deaths had risen to four people. Twitter/X user @GNNANOW, Alhadath news, and Sharq news all reported that the brother of Muhammad al-Deif, Commander-in-Chief of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, had been killed and identified him as 60-year-old Abdel Fattah Diab Al-Deif. There was no indication through open source research that Abdel Al-Deif was himself a member of the armed group. His brother Muhammad was reported to be one of the key individuals who planned the deadly attack on October 7th inside Israel.
Alhadath News and Majilesna News also stated that the Israeli newspaper “Jerusa Post” had confirmed that the Israeli army bombed the house belonging to the father of the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades. Majilesna News also included an image of the destroyed building.
Abdel Fattah Diab Al-Deif’s 40-year-old son Medhat Abdel Fattah Al-Deif (Dhaif) was killed alongside his 13-year-old son Baraa Medhat Abdel Fattah Al-Deif, his three-year-old son (likely named Bayan Medhat Abdel Fattah Al-Deif based on familial name matches in a Ministry of Health list of fatalities) and his daughter Hala Medhat Al-Deif. Sharq News and Alhadath News stated the wife of one of Abdel Fattah’s other sons was also killed.
According to a social media tribute to the late Medhat by Nadi Khadamat Yonis, Medhat used to be a “great athlete” and a “great sports supervisor.” He shared an image of Medhat under the emblem of a basketball club. Ali Mansour shared an image of the young Baraa in a red sports uniform with a medal.
Majilesna news reported that the daughter of the woman who was killed was receiving treatment in intensive care at the Nasser Medical Complex and that the searches were continuing for the rest of the family.
Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023. Three year old Bayan Medhat Abdel Fattah Al-Deif was identified based on partial matching of more than three family names among the MoH list.
When sources identified a belligerent, they all attributed the strike to Israeli forces.
The incident occured around dawn.
The victims were named as:
Family members (5)
Summary
Sources (18) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]
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Source: Mehadi Alhasan facebook -
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Source: Hasan Mukhaymer facebook -
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Source: Hasan Mukhaymer facebook -
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Source: Nadi Khadamat Yonis facebook -
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Source: Nadi Khadamat Yonis facebook -
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Source: Nadi Khadamat Yonis facebook -
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Source: Nadi Khadamat Yonis facebook -
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Source: Bilal Saleh Shofer facebook -
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Source: Ali Mansour facebook -
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Source: Majlesna news -
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