At dawn on Tuesday, October 17th, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike hit a five-storey residential building, where at least nine families reportedly lived. At least seven members of the Zorob family along with at least 18 other civilians were killed, while at least four civilians were injured – including children.

The house was said to be on 7 Hada Street in the Batn al-Sameen area, in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.

Among those killed were Police Captain Iyad Ibrahim Jasser al-Barqi Zorob (42 years old) and his wife Dr. Maysaa Khamis Mahmoud Farwana Zorob (39 years old), alongside their 13-year old daughter, Talin Iyad Ibrahim Zorob, and four of their five sons: 2-year old Baraa Iyad Ibrahim Zorob, 5-year old Kenan Iyad Ibrahim Zorob, 9-year old Ibrahim Iyad Ibrahim Zorob, and 14-year old Rayan Iyad Ibrahim Zorob. Sources were conflicted as to whether their 11-year old son, Muhammad Iyad Ibrahim Zorob, sustained injuries and survived the bombardment or was among those killed.

A tweet from @ajmubasher identified 24 killed from the strike on the Zorob family while @WWIIIAR reported a toll of “more than 30 martyrs in one family”. The majority of other local sources stated that 28 people had been killed, quoting the Gaza Interior Ministry.

Khan Yunis City posted that four injuries resulted from an airstrike in Batn al-Sameen while multiple sources reported on “dozens” of injuries. Very graphic images posted by Hamza Soqor show at least two children, including an infant, among the injured and a video posted by Amr Tabash shows at least four injured children arriving at the hospital in an ambulance.

On Twitter/X, @ShehabAgency published photographs captured by Amr Tabsh, showcasing the children’s aunt embracing the clothes of her late niece, Talin, while Mohsen Alafranji and @AJA_Palestine shared various images and a video, respectively, portraying the aftermath of the bombardment, along with the subsequent rescue and recovery efforts. Later that same day, the Zorob Family Youth Association posted pictures on Facebook documenting the funeral.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces. According to a testimony posted on Facebook by Sharaf Y Dorgham, Captain Iyad Ibrahim’s cousin, the house was destroyed “without prior warning.”