On Friday, October 20, 2023, eight civilians were killed and up to 100 injured – including women and children – after an alleged airstrike by the Israeli military on the ‘Nawfal’ family residence on the 20th Street of ‘Block C’ in Al Nuseirat refugee camp near the centre of Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian news agency Safa reported that the Nawfal family home, which was located near the entrance of Nusseirat, on 20th Street, near the Al-Huda Mosque, was struck. Multiple sources reported that more than 100 civilians were inside the house during the incident, with @sabrifarra24 posting an urgent plea for ambulances to go to the house to help the wounded. According to a post by @Hamzaalnamla1 on Twitter/X, dozens of displaced civilians were sheltering in the house when the strike occurred. Images posted by @Alburaij1948 and @Abdulkarim on Facebook show that civilians, including children, suffered severe injuries during the strike. However, the exact details and condition of those injured is unknown. Multiple sources reported that the majority of the victims were children.

During the strike, 36-year-old Hanan Ahmed Salim Baousha and her husband, 39-year-old Saed Nawfal Saleh Nawfal, were reported killed along with their four children. Their two daughters, 17-year-old Malak Saed Nawfal and 14-year-old Abeer Saed Nawfal were killed as well as their two sons, 12-year-old Muhammad Saed Nawfal and 6-year-old Amir Saed Nofal. The airstrike also resulted in the deaths of Hanan’s father, 70-year-old Ahmed Salim Baalousha (also known as Abu Iyad), and her mother, Jamila Salem Atwa Baalousha.

A Facebook page that reports urgent news about Gaza reported that seven victims were recovered from the incident initially, and described some of them, from the Nawfal family, as being in “pieces.”

The Twitter/X account @Gazanow111 reported that the house belonged to Nawfal Nawfal, also known as Abu Raed, who is likely the father of Saed Nawfal Saleh Nawfal.

@Hamzaalnamla1 reported in a post on Twitter/X that the bomb ignited a fire on the site.

Since the incident, heartfelt testimonials have been posted online by the family members of the deceased. Iyad and Mero Baalousha, the children of Ahmed Salim Baalousha and Jamila Salem Baalousha, posted to Facebook mourning the death of their parents, their sister Hanan, her husband Saed, along with their four nephews and nieces.

The names of all of the identified victims, except for Jamila Salem Atwa Baalousha, have been reconciled with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities published on October 26, 2023.

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