Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0398

Incident date

October 20, 2023

Location

جوار مسجد اليرموك, Vicinity of Al Yarmouk Mosque, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.522639, 34.462778 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

An alleged Israeli airstrike on October 20th 2023 reportedly killed as many as 20 people, many of them members of the Jaarour family. Others were also injured when their family home near the Al Yarmouk Mosque in the Al Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City was struck.

An initial report from Shehab News Agency claimed there were at least six people killed and a number of injured as a result. This number rose throughout the day as more victims were identified. Safa News, quoting the Ministry of Interior, reported that a number of people had died and others been wounded when Israeli aircrafts allegedly struck two homes in the Al Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, that of the Jaarour family and the Abu Sharia family. All other sources cited between 17 and 20 killed in the attack.

Those reportedly killed in the attack include 40 year old Wafiyah Khalil Abdo, her son 21 year old Hammam Samara Jaarour, and her two daughters, 20 year old Ibtisam Samara Jaarour and 19 year old Gharam Samara Jaarour.

Sammour Salman Jaarour (43) was reportedly killed alongside his wife Umm Anas Jaarour Qazat and four of their children, daughters Ibtisam Sammour Jaarour (15) and Farah Sammour Jaarour (5), as well as two of their sons, Salman Sammour Jaarour (12) and Isbaai Sammour Jaarour.

Umm Muhammad Jaarour Al-Sutri was reported to have been killed in the attack along with two of her daughters, Janan Samer Jaarour (8) and Mirna Samer Jaarour (4), and son Tim Samer Jaarour (less than 1 year).

Raesah Hamada Jaarour (67), Louay Al-Ajrami (less than 1 year), and Um Tameh Habib, were also reportedly amongst those killed in the attack bringing the total of named victims killed as a result of the airstrike to 17.

A Facebook post by Hassan Jaarour corroborated that he had lost 20 members of his family in the attack, most of them children. Rasheed Jaarour posted a similar message on Facebook writing that 17 members of the family had died. Many other friends and relatives posted across Facebook mourning the loss and again listing children amongst those dead.

A Facebook post by El Hassan Ali Baker mourned the loss of his cousin Wafiyah Khalil Abdo’s daughter, and claimed that the bombing was concentrated around the Bayti area in Tal al-Hawa on October 20th.

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

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to the Israeli military.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (17)

Raesah Hamada Jaarour رئيسه حماده جعرور
67 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 924403439
Sammour Salman Jarour سمور سلمان جعرور
43 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 905392577
Wafiyah Khalil Abdo وفية خليل عبدو
40 years old female (Jaarour) killed Matched to MoH ID 926771478
Hammam Samara Jaarour همام سماره جعرور
22 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 407078153
Ibtisam Samara Jaarour ابتسام سماره جعرور
21 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 407944644
Gharam Samara Jaarour غرام سماره جعرور
19 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 409102340
Umm Anas Jarour Qazat ام انس جعرور قزعاط
female killed
Salman Sammour Jarour سلمان سمور جعرور
12 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 432461317
Isbaai Sammour Jaroor اسباعي سمور جعرور
male killed
Ibtisam Sammour Jarour ابتسام سمور جعرور
15 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 425928306
Farah Sammour Jarour فرح سمور جعرور
5 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 438422883
Umm Muhammad Jaarour Al-Sutri ام محمد جعرور السوطري
female killed
Janan Samer Jarour جنان سامر جعرور
8 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 435202866
Mirna Samer Jarour ميرنا سامر جعرور
4 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 439076746
Tim Samer Jarour تيم سامر جعرور
0.6 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 444169296
Louay Al-Ajrami لؤي العجرامي
0.6 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 444494595
Um Tameh Habib ام طعمه حبيب
female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Al Yarmouk mosque (مسجد اليرموك) to the west of Gaza city (غزة), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.522639, 34.462778. 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
    17 – 20
  • (8 children7 women2 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 (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abdelhakeem Jarour

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
    17 – 20
  • (8 children7 women2 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 (20) [ collapse]