Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0177

Incident date

October 13, 2023

Location

تل الزعتر, Tal al Zaatar, North Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.533112, 34.504583 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Around 11:25 in the morning on Friday, October 13th, 2023, at least 14 identified civilians from the Safi and Kaloub families, including at least four women and nine children, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Safi family home in the Tal al-Zaatar area in the northern Gaza Strip. A 37-year old Inshirah Ismail Musa Safi was killed in this deadly attack alongside her five children.

Nabd news initially reported that “3 martyrs were recovered from the Safi family home”. Shehab Agency later stated that the number of civilians killed in the bombing had risen to six, with Qana24, Sawt al Watan News and RT News later updating the civilian death toll to nine, and multiple sources on social media corroborating the same. Based on the testimonies by family members, Airwars identified 14 family members of the Safi and Kaloub families who were killed.

A 63-year-old Abdulkarim Hasan Safi was killed alongside his 62-year-old wife Lubna Abdulaziz Ahmad Safi and their possible grandchildren, an 18-year old girl Sondos Abdulkarim Hasan Safi, a 15-year-old boy Majdi Abdulkarim Hasan Safi, and a 9-year-old boy Zakariya Abdulkarim Hasan Safi. Salsabeel Abdulkraim Hasan Safi and Omar Abdulkarim Hasan Safi have been also listed as victims, but their age is unknown.

A Facebook user Mohammed Al Zanin Abu Rafat mourned the death of a 29-year old man Younis Abdulkarimel Qader Safi and the rest of his family members. He shared the pictures of the young bearded man in a white T-shirt along with a graphic picture of the Younis’s lifeless body in a white cloth stained with blood. The brother-in-law of Younis, Anwar Zomlot, also mourned his death in a Facebook post, sharing a black and white picture of Younis.

Toha Monir, possibly the wife of Younis, also posted a black and white image of her late husband and a prayer.

Nisreen al-Silawi, a relative of the Safi family, mourned the death of her aunt, a 37-year old Inshirah Ismail Musa Safi, and Inshirah’s five children, among them three sons: an 18-year old Abdel Muti Hassan Abdulkarim Safi, a 15-year old Muhammad Hassan Abdulkarim Safi, and a 12-year old Ahmed Hassan Abdulkarim Safi, and two daughters: a 17-year old Afnan Hassan Abdulkarim Safi, and a 9-year old Tala Hassan Abdulkarim Safi. She also indicated that the family was survived by Inshirah’s husband Hassan Safi, saying “prayers for patience and solace for my uncle Hassan Safi on the loss of his family.” Nisreen also shared some images of Inshirah’s children killed in the strike, including an image of a young smiling boy in a Chanel T-shirt.

Another relative, Mohammed Silawi, wrote in his Facebook post that his “sister and her children, the Safi family, are martyrs/May God have mercy on you, my beloved ones.” He attached an image of Insirah and Hassan and their five smiling children.

Other sources on social media, Mohammed Kalloub and Abu Nedal, listed the names of four additional victims of the bombing belonging to Kaloub family – 48 year old Hayat Kaloub, Hayat’s daughters, a 17-year old Shatha Omar Saber Kaloub (Kulub) and Amal Kaloub, and Hayat’s grandson Muhammad Jadallah (age unknown). It is unclear whether they were relatives of the Safi family present in the home at the time of the bombing, as Mohammed Kalloub also mourned the “martyrs of my cousin Safi family.” They also shared the images of two women in black hijabs, among them one being Hayat Kaloub, and a young boy Muhammad pictured against the sea background.

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.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

The incident occured at approximately 11:25 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Hayat Kaloub (Um Mohammed) حياة كلوب
48 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 901017798
Shaza Kaloub شذا كلوب
17 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 424155307
Amal Kaloub امل كلوب
female killed
Mohammed Jadallah محمد جادالله
Child male killed

Family members (14)

Abdulkarim Hasan Safi عبدالكريم حسان صافي
63 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 907801658
Lubna Safi لبنى صافي
52 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 961058427
Sondos Abdulkarim Hasan Safi سندس عبدالكريم حسان صافي
18 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 422489948
Salsabeel Abdulkraim Hasan safi سلسبيل عبد الكريم حسان صافي
Majdi Abdulkarim Hasan Safi مجدي عبد الكريم حسان صافي
15 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 421778150
Omar Abdulkarim hasan Safi عمر عبدالكريم حسان صافي
male killed
Zakariya Abdulkarim hasan Safi زكريا عبدالكريم حسان صافي
9 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 434800579
Younis Abdulkarim Hasan Safi بونس عبدالكريم حسان صافي
29 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 804810943
Inshirah Safi انشراح صافي
37 years old female Matched to MoH ID 801481102
Abdulmouti Hasan Abdulkarim Safi عبدالمعطي حسان عبدالكريم صافي
18 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 421281205
Afnan Hasan Abdulkarim Safi الفنان حسان عبدالكريم صافي
17 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 422747147
Mohammed Hasan Abdulkarim Safi محمد حسان عبدالكريم صافي
15 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 425842895
Ahmad Hasan Abdulkarim Safi احمد حسان عبدالكريم صافي
12 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 430410316
Tala Hasan Abdulkarim Safi تالا حسان عبدالكريم صافي
9 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 434241782

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Tal al Zaatar (تل الزعتر) to the east of Jabalia (جباليا). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to find boundaries for the neighbourhood and to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Tal al Zaatar are: 31.533112, 34.504583.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    14
  • (8–9 children4–5 women3 men)
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Moahmmed Al Zanin ABu Rafat facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Moahmmed Al Zanin ABu Rafat facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Alsilawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Toha Monir facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohamemd Silawi facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: Abu Nedal facebook

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
    14
  • (8–9 children4–5 women3 men)
  • 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]