Incident Code

ISPT0350

Location

قرب صالة السعادة, Vicinity of Al Saada Hall, Khan Younis, Palestinian territories

Geolocation

31.327397, 34.289671
Accuracy: Nearby landmark

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

On Wednesday, October 18th 2023, at least four civilians, including three women, were reported killed, and dozens of civilians were reported injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Ashour family home near the al-Saada Hall, south of Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip.

Initial reports from local and social media including Safa News, Ma’a News Agency, al-Ray News, Mawtani Radio, and al-Aqsa Voice stated that four were killed, including three women, and that there were “dozens of injuries” in the bombing. A source on social media, Tayseer Ashour, posted that a “number of members” of the Ashour family were killed, attributing the strikes to Israeli forces. Wafa News reported that medical teams and civilian rescue efforts had recovered the bodies of “a number of martyrs and wounded from two homes belonging to the Mahfouz and Ashour families in the city of Khan Yunis” – it is unclear if the casualties from the Mahfouz family were as a result of this alleged strike.

Only one source attributed the strike to Israeli forces, therefore Airwars had graded the Strike Status as a “Single Source Claim”.

Key Information

Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike
Strike Status
Single source claim
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
4
3 Women
Civilians reported injured
12–24

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of the Al Saada Hall (صالة السعادة) south of the city of Khan Younis (خان يونس), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.327397, 34.289671. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Israeli Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Israeli Military
Israeli Military position on incident
Not yet assessed