Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0327

Incident date

October 18, 2023

Location

جباليا, Jabalia, North Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.538711, 34.495107 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Around 8:42 PM on Wednesday, October 18th 2023, between 13 and 16 members of the Abu Jasser family, including at least four children and five women, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on their home located in the al-Qasaib neighborhood of Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Shehab Agency and Voice of Palestine Radio reported on the bombing, stating that “13 martyrs were recovered,” and adding that the home of the neighboring Lal Shaheen family was “severely damaged” in the strike, with Palestine Now stating there were still people under the rubble.

Social media tributes by Ibrahim Abu Jaser and other relatives helped to identify the names of the 16 family members killed in the strike.

Husam Abu Jasser Abu Mohammed was killed alongside his wife Umm Mohammed Abu Jasser, their sons Jihad Husam Abu Jasser and a 28-year old Mohammed Husam Abu Jasser as well as their daughters, a 16-year old Hala Husam Abu Jasser, a 24-year old Aya Husam Abu Jasser and a 23-year old Ala’a Husam Abu Jasser.

Among the killed victims were also Aya’s husband Ismail Miqdad, Alaa’s husband 29-year old Abdelrahman Sameer Diab Hijaz, Abdeulrahman’s mother, his sister, and his brother. Mohammed’s wife 26-year old Dalia Abu Rakba and their children – a son Husam Mohammed Husam Abu Jasser, a daughter Fatna Mohammed Husam Abu Jasser and an infant son Basil Mohammed Husan Abu Jasser were among those killed.

A Facebook user Shadi Jaser wrote that they received the news about the deaths in Jasser family “with hearts filled with sadness and wracked with pain.” A Twitter/X user @GhadirAkram shared her shock and desperation in a post: “My heart hurts.. it will fall out of its place.. Abu Jasser’s family moved to the side of their Lord, martyrs, God willing…”

Al Jazeera Turkey shared a video of Turks in the state of Kutahya holding prayers for the killed members of the family and offering condolences to Abdullah Abu Jaser, a surviving member of the family who studies at the Dumlu Banar University in the area.

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 strike to Israeli forces. Multiple on social media stated that the airstrike came without warning.

The incident occured at approximately 8:42 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (13)

Husam Abu Jasser حسام أبو جاسر
Adult male killed
Umm Mohammed Abu Jasser أم محمد أبو جاسر
Adult female killed
Jihad Husam Abu Jasser جهاد حسام أبو جاسر
Age unknown male killed
Hala Husam Abu Jasser حلا حسام أبو جاسر
16 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 421887886
Aya Husam Abu Jasser أية حسام أبو جاسر
24 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 405266164
Ala’a Husam Abu Jasser الاء حسام أبو جاسر
23 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 406995597
Ismail Miqdad اسماعيل مقداد
Adult male killed
Abdulrahman Hijazi عبد الرحمن حجازي
29 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 804787232
Mohammed Husam Abu Jasser محمد حسام أبو جاسر
28 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 400813127
Dalia Abu Rikba دالية أبو ركبة
26 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 402552582
Husam Mohammed Husam Abu Jasser حسام أبو جاسر
Child male killed
Fatna Mohammed Husam Abu Jasser فاتن أبو جاسر
Child female killed
Basel Mohammad Hossam Abu Jasser باسل محمد حسام ابو جاسر
0.6 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 445386808

Family members (3)

Mother of Abdulrahman Hijazi (Unnamed) أم عبد الرحمن حجازي
Adult female killed
Sister of Abdulrahman Hijazi (Unnamed) أخت عبد الرحمن حجازي
Age unknown female killed
Brother of Abdulrahman Hijazi (Unnamed) أخ عبد الرحمن حجازي
Age unknown male killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a residential building in Jabalia (جباليا). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Jabalia are: 31.538711, 34.495107.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    13 – 16
  • (4–5 children6 women5–6 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 (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Shadi Jaser
  • 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
    IDP or refugee camp, Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    13 – 16
  • (4–5 children6 women5–6 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 (17) [ collapse]