Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0253

Incident date

October 16, 2023

Location

طلال السلطان, Tal al Sultan, Rafah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.310318, 34.241843 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On Monday, October 16 2023, between 10 to 11 civilians, including at least four women and at least three children, were killed and between 24 and 30 were wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the homes of the Okal, Hijazi and al-Shaer families, in northwest Rafah.

Safah news reported on “dozens of martyrs and wounded” as a result of the bombing, while a source on social media described it as a “very large massacre.” Sources on social media including Waleed and Yabark Rafah shared powerful images and videos of the wounded, which included pictures of at least three heavily wounded children and a video of doctors desperate attempts to revive a wounded child. Ayyam News detailed that the bombing was “sudden”, causing “the death of eight martyrs, about 30 wounded, and the loss of a number of others.” Al Mayadeen news cited a statement by the Ministry of Interior in Gaza where they noted the bombing of the Okal and al-Shaer family homes in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, attributing the strikes to Israeli forces.

Manal Hijazi, a possible relative, detailed the names of the victims who were killed in the bombing – “the freed prisoner” Akram Muhammad Hamdan Hijazi (Abu Hajar) whom other sources called the “great Fatah leader”. His wife Reem Muhammad Abdel Razzaq Hijazi, three of their children Muhammad Akram Muhammad Hijazi, Imad Akram Muhammad Hijazi, and Nour Akram Muhammad Hijazi, Reem’s mother Fatima Hamdan Hussein Okal, Mona Mahmoud Okal (wife of Adila), their neighbor Abdul Karim Ali Muhammad al-Shaer, and his wife Ruwayda Ibrahim Salem al-Shaer. Feras al-Shaer mourned the death of Abdul, who was a Professor, and Ruwayda, as well the death of Ammar Muhammad Ali al-Shaer, whom another source refers to as “the poet”. Sources also mention the death of an unnamed cousin of Akram Hijazi, with Ahmad Adam adding that the “number of wounded is 24.” Pictures of two of the killed children in their athletic uniforms, Imad and Muhammad, were shared by their sports academy, saying “the stars of Score Academy in Rafah.”A possible relative of the family penned a prayer and tribute for their loved ones killed in the bombing, saying “May God have mercy on you and make your abode paradise/You broke me and broke my heart/I swear it’s early, my brother-in-law/It’s early, my heart, Umm Hajar, I swear it’s early/My beloved ones are gone.”

A tweet from @Hamzaalnamla1 referred to the location of the strike as occurring “near Al-Massa Hall, northwest of Rafah” and mentioned that the victims of the strike were “among the displaced”. Another source stated that the bombing was “inside the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah”.

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.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Abdulkarim Ali Mohmmad Al Shaer عبدالكريم محمد الشاعر
58 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 903376861
Ruwayda Ibrahim Salem Al Shaer رويدة ابراهيم سالم الشاعر
44 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 903082972
Ammar Al Shaer عمار الشاعر
male killed

Family members (7)

Akram Mohammad Hamdan Hijazi أكرم محمد حمدان حجازي
51 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 980188668
Reem Abdulrazaq Hijazi ريم عبدالرزاق حجازي
45 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 900550682
Mohammad Akram Hijazi محمد أكرم حجازي
7 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 436934558
Nour Akram Hijazi نور أكرم حجازي
11 years old female Matched to MoH ID 433343183
Imad Akram Mohammad Hijazi عماد أكرم محمد حجازي
13 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 429565609
Fatema Hamdan Hussein Okal فاطمة حمدان حسين عوكل
79 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 905540829
Mona Mahmoud Okal منى محمود عوكل
37 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 412300220

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Tal al Sultan (طلال السلطان) to the west of Rafah (رفح). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Tal al Sultan are: 31.310318, 34.241843.

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Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 11
  • (3 children4 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24–30
  • 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 (41) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (38) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @Hamzaalnamla1
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yabark Rafah
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yabark Rafah
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yabark Rafah
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yabark Rafah
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yabark Rafah
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Hijazi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ibrahim Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ibrahim Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ibrahim Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ibrahim Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ibrahim Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel Zoroub
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel Zoroub
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel Zoroub
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mäħmoúḑ Abo Nisreen
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mäħmoúḑ Abo Nisreen
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mäħmoúḑ Abo Nisreen
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mäħmoúḑ Abo Nisreen
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Manal Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Manal Hegazy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel Zoroub
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Hasan Ouka'l
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: Adel Tabasi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel Tabasi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel Tabasi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Kamel Gharib
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Kamel Gharib
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Al-Shaer
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mosa Ryan
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mosa Ryan
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Al shaar
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mahmoud Al-Shaer
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Feras Al Shaer
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Feras Al Shaer
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Feras Al Shaer
  • 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
    10 – 11
  • (3 children4 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    24–30
  • 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 (41) [ collapse]