Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0396

Incident date

October 20, 2023

Location

شارع اليرموك، مدينة غزة, Al Yarmouk Street, Gaza City, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.523441, 34.464771 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On Friday, October 20, 2023, 10 members of the Al-Suwerki family and nine members of the Atallah family were killed when their houses in Yarmouk Street, near the Al Ghafri Junction, in Gaza City, were destroyed due to an alleged Israeli bombing. At least three people were also injured in the incident. Journalist Saed Al-Suwerki, a correspondent for RT, received the news of the loss of his relatives while he was on the live broadcast, and he continued with his message and said “ There is no time to be sad now, meaning that we must not lose our senses”.

The Atallah family home next to the Al-Sawerki home was damaged due to the alleged Israeli bombing, killing nine members of the family. @ShehabAgency provided the names of eight members of the family: 74-year-old Muhammad Matar Darwish Atallah (Abu Mansour), Hafez Atallah, 40-year-old Zaher Muhammad Matar Darwish Atallah (Abu Shams), Umm Haitham Atallah (Hamdan’s wife), 22-year-old Ismail Atallah, Abdullah Karam Atallah, his twin brother Abdul Karim Karam Atallah, and 16-year-old Jaafar Nasser Mohammed Matar Atallah. A post from Abdalhadi Atallah added Fares Jihad Fares Atallah, who was 21 years old, to the list of those killed from the Atallah family.

Doctor Abdul Rahman Attallah at Shifa Hospital was surprised to find out that one of those killed that he received in the emergency department was his father Hafez Attallah. Family members made heartfelt tributes to the Atallah family and described their grief. Islam Ayoob posted an image of Hafez.

Family members of the al-Swerki family posted tributes to the victims from their family. Sisters 18-year-old Malak Taher Khaled al-Swerki and Fatima Taher Khaled al-Swerki were reportedly killed alongside Fatima’s young children, a boy called Bilal and a girl called Mayar. Fatima and Malak’s brother 24-year-old Besam Taher Khaled Maher was also killed. Their sister-in-law Shams Mohammed al-Swerki (al-Harazin), the wife of Musaab al-Swerki, was killed alongside her 2-year-old daughter Linda Musaab Taher al-Swerki. Shams’s mother-in-law, also named Malak Taher or Umm Musaab, was also killed alongside an older female relative named Umm Maher. Samia Maher Al Swirki posted a memorial for her uncle’s wife, Malak Taher (Umm Musaab), and other members of his family: “my dear cousin Fatima, her children Mayar and Bilal, my cousin Malak, the wife of my beloved cousin, Shams and her daughter Linda under the ruins from dawn until now!”

Al-Julani Mosque, in a post on Facebook, reported the deaths of one other member of the al-Swerki family, Youssef Mohamed Yunis Al-Swerki.

Multiple sources reported that “injuries” resulted from the strike, but none provided an exact injury toll. A family member named Abu Maher Al-Swerki, in a tribute post on Facebook, wished a speedy recovery for his uncle Taher Khaled (likely the father of Fatima, Malak and Basem), a male relative named Munir Abu Ahmed, and someone referred to as Molouk Malik, suggesting that at least three people were injured in the incident.

Where possible, the names of the 10 fatalities have been reconciled with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities published on October 26, 2023.

Where the sources identified the belligerent, sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (9)

Muhammad Matar Attallah (Abu Mansour) محمد مطر عطالله
76 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 928338540
Zaher Muhammad Matar Darwish Attaallah زاهر محمد مطر درويش عطالله
40 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 800101131
Um Haitham Ataallah (Hamdan's wife) أم هيثم عطالله
Adult female killed
Hafiz Ataallah حافظ عطالله
57 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 956386676
Ismail Mansour Mohammed Matar Attaallah اسماعيل منصور محمد مطر عطا الله
22 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 407685718
Jafar Nasser Mohammed Matar Attaallah جعفرناصر محمد مطر عطالله
16 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 424533966
Fares Jihad Fares Attaallah فارس جهاد عطاالله
21 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 408055986
Abdullah Karam Atallah عبدالله كرم عطالله
killed
Abdul Karim Karam Atallah عبدالكريم كرم عطالله
killed

Family members (10)

Shams Mohammed Al-Suwerki (Al Harazin) شمس محمد السويركي
Adult female killed
Malak Taher ملاك طاهر
Adult female Umm Musaab killed
Linda Musaab Taher al-Swerki مصعب طاهرالسويركي
2 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 445049448
Malak Taher Khaled al-Swerki ملاك طاهر خالد السويركي
18 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 421240201
Fatima Taher فاطمه طاهر
Adult female killed
Mayar ميار
Child killed
Bilal بلال
Child killed
Umm Maher Swerki أم مصعب
Adult female killed
Basem Taher Khaled Swerki باسم طاهر خالد السويركي
24 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 405202839
Youssef Mohamed Yunis Al-Swerki يوسف محمد يونس السويركي
31 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 803757814

The victims were named as:

Taher Khaled طاهر خالد
Adult male injured
Molook Malik ملوك مالك
Age unknown male injured
Munir Abu Ahmed منير ابواحمد
Age unknown injured

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a residential building being struck on Yarmouk Street (شارع اليرموك) in Gaza City (مدينة غزة). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 31.523441, 34.464771.

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  • Imagery:
    @Lanahaddad03

  • Imagery:
    @Lanahaddad03

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    19
  • (4–6 children6 women7–9 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (40) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

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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
    19
  • (4–6 children6 women7–9 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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 (40) [ collapse]