On the morning of Wednesday, October 11th 2023, at least 18 civilian members of the Al-Kurd family, including five women and seven children, were killed and at least 13 family members were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Al-Kurd family house located in the Al Hakar area in the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.

The reports came as the intense bombing was happening in the city of Deir al-Balah. Wafa News and Nabd News reported about three killed civilians and a number of injuries. Jaber Post reported that at 10.13 a.m., the search finished and recovered 13 bodies from the rubble. The post corroborated that the airstrike destroyed the Al-Kurd family home, killing the family members inside or trapping them under the ruins, leading to life-altering injuries.

Social media testimonies by family relatives and friends helped to identify the names of 18 family members of the Al-Kurd family who were killed. In particular, Mustafa Al-Kurd wrote the list of some deceased Al-Kurd family members and shared their images, including images of very small children.

40-year-old Tayseer Saeed Al-Kurd (Abu Muhammad) was killed alongside his son, two-year-old Ahmed Tayseer Al-Kurd. Their 17-year-old son Muhammad was severely injured with burns.

The surviving widow of Tayseer Saeed Al-Kurd, 38-year-old Amal Rif’at al-Kurd, spoke to B’Tselem field researcher Olfat al-Kurd on 8 May 2024, describing the circumstances of the deadly strike:

“On 11 October, we were at my uncle’s house. Around 10:30 A.M., I was sitting with Bushra, Alaa and our children in a room when suddenly, we found ourselves under a pile of rubble. I didn’t even hear the missile. Pieces of the building fell on us and covered us, leaving only an opening, and there was fire and smoke. I heard voices and started shouting for help. My son Yusef had a curtain wrapped around his neck. He started choking, and I helped him get it off so he could breathe. Karim, Alaa’s son, was next to me. His head was covered in blood, and he was unconscious. {..} Young men who arrived rescued Yusef, Alaa (who was injured in the leg), and me. They took me to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and ran some tests to make sure I was okay, even though I told them I was fine and in good condition.”

She further told that her youngest son, Ahmed, was not rescued because the rescuers didn’t have the proper tools and equipment. At midnight, she was told that he was dead, and her husband Tayseer, who had been in intensive care before, had died too. Later, she was told that Tayseer arrived at the hospital in relatively good condition, on his feet, but had internal organ injuries, mainly in the lungs. He felt unwell and was immediately taken to intensive care, and his condition deteriorated.

37-year-old sister of Amal, Alaa Rafaat Al-Kurd, was injured in her leg, which was amputated later. She also spoke to B’Tselem field researcher Olfat al-Kurd on 8 May 2024, telling the details of her injury, the loss of her son, 13-year-old Abdul Rahman Yasser Saeed Al-Kurd, and the fate of other family members. Alaa told Olfat that she was at her uncle’s house with her sisters, Amal and Bushra, and their children: “My son ‘Abd a-Rahman was sitting next to Bushra, opposite me. Bushra’s daughter Julia was sleeping next to her. Suddenly, we heard an explosion and found ourselves under rubble. Everything was filled with fire and smoke,” recalled the woman.

She told further how she was rescued: “A few young men arrived. I saw them through a small opening in the rubble. They started to remove the debris. I couldn’t move because I was unable to lift my left leg. The young men asked me to try to move it, but I couldn’t feel it at all. One of the young men pulled me by the hand and got me out. I called out to Bushra and Abd a-Rahman, but they didn’t make a sound. Amal called out to her son Ahmad, who was two years old. We heard his voice for a moment, and then we didn’t hear it anymore. They got me out and took me to an ambulance that took me to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. My leg was gaping open, and the toes were crushed. They laid me on a bed, bandaged my leg, and said I had to be transferred to al-Shifaa Hospital in Gaza. I lay there, unable to move and not knowing what was happening, who in my family was injured and who was killed. I only heard people talking around me.”

In a couple of days, staying alone in al-Shifaa hospital, Alaa learned the tragic news about the death of her son Abdul Rahman, her sister Bushra and other family members. She said, ” I couldn’t digest what happened to me. The loss, along with my injury, the pain, and the fact that I was there alone.”

Later, Alaa was taken to the treatment in Egypt after the doctors had to amputate her leg, and she was staying there with her sister Amal and their children.

Tayseer’s younger brother, 36-year-old Fawzi Saeed Al-Kurd, was initially injured but later succumbed to his injuries. Fawzi’s brother, Ahmad Al-Kurd, wrote about his injury and that he was treated at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. Yasser Alkurd wrote, “Please pray for my brothers Tayseer and Fawzi, my nephew Muhammad, my cousins, their daughters, and their children for recovery and safety.” The wife of Fawzi, 31-year-old Bushra Rafaat Ahmed Al-Kurd, and their one-year-old daughter, Julia Fawzi Saeed Al-Kurd, were also killed. Amal Al-Kurd said that she identified Bushra and Julia’s bodies at the hospital.

According to Amal al-Kurd, Fawzi and Bushra’s children – Sa’id, Juri, and Rafif,  who lost both their parents, were in bad shape mentally. She said that there was once Juri’s birthday, and she asked a little girl what she wanted for a present, and she answered that she wanted her mother and father.

37-year-old Mahmoud Atef Abdel Qadir Al-Kurd was killed along with his son, 12-year-old Yazan Mahmoud Atef al-Kurd, his brother, 38-year-old Muhammad Atef Abdel Qadir Al-Kurd, their parents, the 56-year-old mother Haja Intizar Aziz (Al-Kurd) (Umm Muhammad), and the 59-year-old father, Mustafa Fawzi Shhadah al-Kurd. Muhammad’s son, 11-year-old Yusuf Muhammad Atef Al-Kurd, was also killed. Zaher Hamad Qashlan wrote about their death and added that their house was attacked without warning. Ahmad Alkurd wrote that the late Yusuf was beautiful and kind, and everybody who saw him loved him.

Mustafa Fawzi al-Kurd was initially reported injured by the sources, but, according to Amal Al-Kurd, he was seriously injured and succumbed to his injuries.

Muhammad Atef Abdel Qadir Al-Kurd was the Director of the Telecommunications Exhibition in Deir Al-Balah. Zaher Hamad Qashlan wrote his tribute to the late Muhammad, sharing an image of the middle-aged man in a black sports suit standing on the seashore with beads in his hands. His brother Mahmoud was the Director of the Telecommunications Exhibition in Jabalia and Nusairat. Deir Al Balah’s Facebook account added a picture of the dead Mahmoud Al-Kurd while his friend Mohammed Yasser Alnabaheen wrote, “The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, and I am saddened by your departure, Mahmoud…May God bless you and make you dwell in His spacious gardens.”

The brothers’ mother, Umm Muhammad, was mourned by her nephew Abdullah Aziz in a post on Facebook. He posted a picture of his aunt smiling, wearing a beige hijab and traditional clothing.

The death of 22-year-old woman Manar (Minar) Atef Abdul Qadir Al-Kurd was mourned by her friend Lina Tawash, who wrote: “Manar Al-Kurd, our childhood friend, our neighbor, and my beloved, has passed away to God’s mercy…. I used to come to you and you used to pick all the flowers for me and tell me how similar you were? …. the meeting place is Paradise, my sister ????????”

The airstrike took the lives of the mother, 26-year-old Rahimah Sa’di Shahin-al-Kurd, who was killed alongside her two young boys, a two-year-old Yazid Ahmed Atef Al-Kurd and an infant, just one week old, Zaid Ahmed Atef Al-Kurd, while their father and Rahimah’s husband, Ahmed Atef Al-Kurd, was reportedly injured.

63-year-old woman Fatima Ahmed Muhammad al-Kurd (Al-Mabhouh) (Umm Al-Abd) was killed alongside her brother-in-law, 60-year-old Mahmoud ‘Abd al-Kader al-Kurd, 60.

Facebook user Abu Alazayaeh provided the names of other injured family members:  Hala Muhammad Al-Kurd, Zain Mahmoud Al-Kurd, Maryam Yasser Al-Kurd, seven-year-old Juri Fawzi Al-Kurd, a child Karim Yasser Al-Kurd, 12-year-old Saeed Fawzi Al-Kurd, Alaa Mustafa Al-Kurd, Karam Muhammad Al-Kurd, and Ahmed Mustafa Al-Kurd.

Where possible, the names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released eight lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, most of the names were matched to the first “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on October 26th, 2023.

Social media users shared images and videos showing the aftermath of the strike. The family’s house was severely damaged, with a lot of rubble and debris scattered on the ground. A video posted by Twitter/X user @bahaashmalah showed the immediate aftermath of the attack with multiple small fires burning, burned cars, and sounds of sirens.

Twitter/X user @imShadab_  captured on camera multiple rescuers who gathered near the destroyed house, trying to rescue the survivors. Another user, @ShareApo, posted an image showing a joyful moment when a baby was rescued alive from the rubble.  A group of men was surrounding a man in a red T-shirt who was holding a small baby in his hands.

Where sources identified the belligerents, all sources attributed the strike to the Israeli military.