Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0182

Incident date

October 13, 2023

Location

بني سهيلا, Bani Suheila, Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.342130, 34.325343 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least 15 people, including at least one child and four women, one of whom was pregnant, were killed and 15 others were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the al-Ela residence in Bani Suhila in Khan Younis on October 13th, 2023.

The Rakab family posted the names of 14 civilians killed during the destruction of the “Abu Al-Ela family home, Al-Raqab in Bani Suhaila”, in addition to 15 others injured.

Many of those killed were from the al-Ela, al-Raqab family. Based on names, it seems likely that Khaled Ismail Abu al-Ala, al-Raqab (56) was killed along with his wife “Umm Hassan” (likely Hala Mahmoud Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab, 46) and their children Ahmed Khaled Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab (26), Hassan Khaled Ismail Abu al-Ala al-Raqab (30), Karim Khaled Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab, Taqi Khaled Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab (23) and Rahaf Khaled Ismail Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab (9). The Rakab family Facebook referred to Hassan and Ahmed as “the family’s young son” and to Khaled as a pharmacist.  A post from Ismeil Farid quoted the last thing that Ahmed Khaled Abu al-Ela wrote before he was killed, which translates to “We won’t forgive or forget those who did not help us”. The Bani Suhayla martyrs school posted a memorial for Rahaf who was a student there.

Another family member of the al-Ela family was killed. Mohammed Abu Al-Ela posted a memorial for his father 53 year old Majed Hussein Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab of whom he said “the pain of your separation is that I did not have the honor of saying goodbye to you and taking a farewell look.”

Others not from the al-Ela, al-Raqab family were also killed in the same bombing: Alaa Mahmoud Abu Saada, Zuhair Muhammad Fadl Abu Shab (21), Ihab Muhammad Hosni Abu Youssef (30), Muhammad Iyad Baraka (23), Asmaa Abdul Karim Abu Salah (21), Arif Abdul Salam Arif al-Qara (23), and Wasfiya Muhammad Abdel Aziz Abu Tir (70) were all killed.

Um elzoz posted a memorial for “the apple of my eye and my beloved” Zuhair Muhammad Fadl Abu Shab who they described as “Everyone knows you and bears witness that you are the righteous and honest son. May God grant us all patience in your separation.”

The Abu Salah family posted a memorial to Asmaa Abdul Karim Abu Salah who “rose to the top of the house of the Abu Al-Ala family to join the hundreds of moons who preceded her.”

The Alqara family posted a memorial to the “good young man” Arif Abdul Salam Arif al-Qara. It should be noted that Arif Abdul Salam Arif al-Qara is possibly related to civilians listed in incident ISPT0187C, who share the same surname.

A tweet from diabmashni reported that the bodies of 11 of those killed were taken to Nasser Hospital after the attack. A video posted by Mustafa shows the shrouded body of “the mother and her fetus” indicating that at least one of the women killed was pregnant.

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. PNRB News stated that no warning had been given before the strike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (8)

Ahmed Khaled Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab احمد خالد ابو العلا الرقب 
26 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 402519557
Karim Khaled Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab كريم خالد  ابو العلا الرقب
Age unknown male killed
Majed Hussein Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab ماجد حسين  ابو العلا الرقب
53 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 903460111
Taqi Khaled Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab تقي خالد  ابو العلا الرقب
23 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 405857798
Hala Mahmoud Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab هالة محمود  ابو العلا الرقب
46 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 901624064
Khaled Ismail Abu al-Ala, al-Raqab خالد اسماعيل ابو العلا  الرقب
56 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 954335675
Hassan Khaled Ismail Abu al-Ala al-Raqab حسان خالد اسماعيل ابو العلا الرقب
30 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 804437523
Rahaf Khaled Ismail Abu al-Ela, al-Raqab رهف خالد اسماعيل ابو العلا، الرقب
9 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 434751327

The victims were named as:

Alaa Mahmoud Abu Saada علاء محمود ابوسعدة
Age unknown killed
Arif Abdul Salam Arif al-Qara عارف عبدالسلام عارف القرا
23 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 405932641
Zuhair Muhammad Fadl Abu Shab زهير محمد فضل ابو شاب
21 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 407955921
Ihab Muhammad Hosni Abu Youssef ايهاب محمود حسني ابو يوسف 
30 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 410069165
Muhammad Iyad Baraka محمد اياد بركة
23 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 406959361
Asmaa Abdul Karim Abu Salah اسماء عبدالكريم ابو صالح
21 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 407966746
Wasfiya Muhammad Abdel Aziz Abu Tir وصفية محمد عبدالعزيز ابو طير
70 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 932056336

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Bani Suheila (بني سهيلا), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.342130, 34.325343. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    15
  • (1–2 children4 women8–9 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15
  • 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 (28) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (24) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Ismeil Farid facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Absan Al-kabira facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Mohammed Abu Al-ula facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: Bani Suhayla martyrs school facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Al-khateeb facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Al-khateeb facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Al-khateeb facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Al-khateeb facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Al-khateeb facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

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

    Source: Mohammed Abu Eid Facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

  • 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
    15
  • (1–2 children4 women8–9 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    15
  • 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 (28) [ collapse]