Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0317

Incident date

October 18, 2023

Location

محيط بنك الإنتاج, Vicinity of the Production Bank, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.512599, 34.453029 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Around 2:29 AM on Wednesday, October 18th 2023, at least 21 civilians, members of the Sakeek family, including at least ten children and six women, were reportedly killed and a number of others were wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike on their home on Omar al-Mukhtar Street, opposite the production bank in Gaza City, Gaza Strip.

Initial reportage from Shehab Agency, al-Mayadeen, Nabd and PaltodayTV stated that there were “martyrs and wounded” as a result of the alleged bombing, with al Aqsa Voice stating that there were a “number of casualties.”

Videos shared on social media showed ambulances and rescue workers rushing to the site of the bombing in darkness, with another source sharing a video of the rubble and destruction in the aftermath of the reported strike. A neighbor and relative of the Sakeek family stated that they were consoling their “neighbor, brother and friend Abdul Rahman Sakeek” after most of their family members were martyred in the bombing that allegedly occurred “while they were sleeping.”

A family relative Mohammed Saleem Skaik shared on Facebook the images of numerous bodies of the victims wrapped in shrouds and placed in the back of a van and later in a ditch on the ground and wrote that more than 25 members of his family were killed: “God granted martyrdom to the cousins of my family last night in a barbaric bombing, where more than 25 of them were martyred. Scenes that cannot be described and cannot be abandoned, but our only consolation is that they are in a paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth.”

Surviving members of the family posted the names of 21 people killed in the bombing, with user Abu Jalal sharing an image of a middle-aged bearded man and stating that “Amjad Sakeek and his entire family were martyrs.”

A family grandfather Hajj Muhy al-Din Abdel Rahman Muhy al-Din Sakeek (Abu al-Abd) (78) was killed alongside his sons Hajj Amjad Muhy al-Din Abdel Rahman Sakeek (42) and Muhammad Muhiddeen Abdel Rahman Sakeek (33), his daughter-in-law (wife of Amjad) Iman Gamal Abd al-Qadir Sakeek (40) and Amjad and Iman’s children Muhiddeen Amjad Muhiddeen Sakeek (13) and Mena Amjad Muhiddeen Sakeek (15).

The deadly attack also killed Muhammad’s wife Dina Alaa Ibrahim Sakeek (32) along with Dina and Muhammad’s children Ali Muhammad Muheisen Sakeek (6) and Tala Muhammad Muheisen Sakeek (4).

Among the killed victims were also a daughter-in-law of Abu al-Abd Inas Ramzi Muhammad Sakeek (37) married to his son Saad, with their four children – Ayyam Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek (13), Karam Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek (11), Bahaa Al-Din Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek (17), and Kareem Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek (11).

Within the related family, Hajj Baha’al-Din Abdel Rahman Muhayyis Sakeek (Abu Saad) (72) was killed alongside his wife Wissam Muhammad Khaleel Sakeek (61), their daughter Noor Bahaa al-Din Abdel Rahman Sakeek (38), their son Abdullah Bahaa al-Din Abdel Rahman Sakeek (Abu Omar) (34), Abdullah’s wife Dana Hashem Saadi Sakeek (30), as well as Abdullah and Dana’s children – their son Anas Abdullah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek (1) and their daughter Joan Abdullah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek (6).

Social media user Abu Mohammad shared an image of Baha’al-Din Sakeek (Abu Saad) – an elderly, clean-shaven man standing at a religious lectern – and revealed that he was the Muezzin for their mosque.

Colleagues of Abu Mohammad’s son Abdullah Sakeek (Abu Omar) mourned his death, sharing that he was the financial auditor of the Qawafil Al-Khair Association, and posted a video of him, a smiling, cheerful middle-aged man. A friend of the late Abdullah Mahmoud AliHasan posted on Facebook his last conversation with him and wrote that Abdullah was “a boy in whom all types of goodness were combined.” His wife Dana and their children were remembered in a Facebook tribute by Mariam Ghaith who mourned their death “as a result of the bombing of their house in Gaza at dawn.”

Other images of the victims shared included elderly men and young boys, with user Hasen posting an image of Abu Omar Sakeek Shahid – a smiling, bearded man – with the caption Goodbye, my dear heart…May God have mercy on you and accept you, my beloved.”

All names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

Where sources identified the belligerents all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

The incident occured at approximately 2:29 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (21)

Hajj Muhy al-Din Abdel Rahman Muhy al-Din Sakeek (Abu al-Abd) محي الدين عبد الرحمن سكيك
78 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 930950431
Hajj Amjad Muhy al-Din Abdel Rahman Sakeek أمجد محي الدين سكيك
42 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 906760764
Muhammad Muhiddeen Abdel Rahman Sakeek محمد محي الدين سكيك
33 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802502542
Iman Gamal Abd al-Qadir Sakeek ايمان جمال عبد القادر سكيك
40 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 800049520
Muhiddeen Amjad Muhiddeen Sakeek محي الدين أمجد سكيك
13 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 429924400
Mena Amjad Muhiddeen Sakeek منة محي الدين أمجد سكيك
15 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 426335873
Dina Alaa Ibrahim Sakeek دينا سكيك أبو شعبان
32 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 803274729
Ali Muhammad Muheisen Sakeek علي محمد سكيك
6 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 438280240
Tala Muhammad Muheisen Sakeek تالا محمد سكيك
4 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 441039146
Inas Ramzi Muhammad Sakeek إيناس سكيك
37 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 801501909
Ayyam Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek أيهم سعد سكيك
13 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 429724644
Karam Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek كرم سعد سكيك
11 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 433194438
Kareem Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek كريم سعد سكيك
11 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 433194453
Bahaa Al-Din Saadallah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek بهاء سعد سكيك
17 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 424139061
Hajj Baha'al-Din Abdel Rahman Muhayyis Sakeek (Abu Saad) بهاء الدين عبد الرحمن سكيك
72 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 930950456
Wissam Muhammad Khaleel Sakeek وسام سكيك حسن
61 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 910970680
Noor Bahaa al-Din Abdel Rahman Sakeek نور بهاء الدين سكيك
38 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 800560518
Abdullah Bahaa al-Din Abdel Rahman Sakeek (Abu Omar) عبد الله بهاء الدين سكيك
34 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802427831
Dana Hashem Saadi Sakeek دانا سكيك الشوا
30 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 804465292
Anas Abdullah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek أنس عبد الله سكيك
1 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 444888234
Joan Abdullah Bahaa Al-Din Sakeek جوان عبد الله سكيك
6 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 438327900

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of the Production Bank (بنك الإنتاج) to the west of Gaza city (غزة), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.512599, 34.453029. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    21 – 26
  • (10 children6 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (22) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 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
    21 – 26
  • (10 children6 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]