Four members of the al-Masry family were reportedly killed and three others were injured by an alleged Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis during the dawn hours of the 17th of October, 2023.

The killed and injured civilians came from three generations of the al-Masry family. 5-year-old Amir Hammam Salem Samara al-Masry, his mother, 30-year-old Asmaa Jihad Suleiman al-Masry, and her mother, 56-year-old Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry were all killed on the 17th of October. Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry’s husband – Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry – was severely wounded and died in hospital from his injuries 12 days later on October 29th. Those injured in the strike were Aseel Jihad al-Masry — the daughter of Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry and Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry — and two of their grandsons: Jihad Salem Hammam al-Masry and Jihad Ayham Hammam al-Masry, both children. According to Ali al-Astal, their injuries were “serious” and they were transported to hospital.

In an obituary posted on Facebook, the al-Quds Open University paid tribute to Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry, a “scholar and educator” who was “a member of the university’s board and director of its branch in Khan Younis.” Dan Sheehan, writing on Literary Hub, described him as “a historian and university professor whose contributions spanned generations” and who had published “numerous research papers on Islamic history and Palestinian oral traditions in both Arab and international journals.” According to Literary Hub, Dr. Jihad had been on his way to meet his wife and daughter when the attack occurred.

Nephew Hassan T Alakhras recounted his final interaction with Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry in hospital: “when I brought you into the operating room, I kissed you on your forehead and told you to watch, and praise be to God. The last of your words was I bear witness that there is no god but God, and you told me to take care of yourself. With a glance, I went. May God have mercy on you, my dear one.”

Tributes and prayers were also posted on Facebook for the other members of the family who were killed. Young Amir Hammam Salem Samara al-Masry was described as “a bird of paradise” by the Almassry Family. Meanwhile, Osama al-Masri wrote that “The al-Masry family mourns at home and [in the] diaspora”. He added that “We ask God to accept them in the highest heavens and grant them the highest paradise.” Echoing this, Mansour Al-Masri said: “We ask God Almighty to accept them in heaven, to cover them with His vast mercy, to dwell them in His spacious gardens, and to inspire their families and loved ones with patience and solace.”

Family members such as Hassan T Alakhras also expressed their hope for “a speedy recovery for the wounded.”

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike(s) to Israeli forces.

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

Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.

The incident occured around dawn.