Around dawn on October 22nd 2023, four civilian members of the Sheikh Al-Eid family were reportedly killed when an Israeli airstrike allegedly struck their family home in the Siamat Neighbourhood north of Rafah, near to the Mohandiseen Towers. It is unknown how many others were injured. A fifth member of the family was also killed, and he has been recorded as a militant.

39-year-old Hanan Ahmed Abudllah Sheikh Al-Eid reportedly died in the attack along with her three sons 17-year-old Abdullah Osama Ahmed Sheikh Al-Eid, and 20-year-old Ahmed Osama Ahmed Sheikh Al-Eid. Another family member, 81-year-old woman Salima Muhammad Sheikh Al-Eid was also killed.

When Airwars first published this incident on October 22, 2023, no open sources were found to suggest that 22-year-old Muhammad Osama Ahmed Sheikh Al-Eid was a militant. As such, Muhammad was recorded as a civilian. This was in line with Airwars’ methodology which is employed across all conflicts we document, and informed by international standards regarding the ‘presumption of civilian status‘. Specifically, as outlined by the International Committee of the Red Cross, civilian status is assumed until evidence is identified to the contrary.

However, on June 18, 2026, sarayamirror, a Telegram account associated with PIJ, posted a tribute to Muhammad Osama Ahmed Sheikh Al-Eid, naming him as a militant. As such, his civilian status has been updated to militant, and the minimum number of civilians recorded as killed in this incident was changed from five to four.

Alghad News and Safa News both reported on the event. Safa News originally wrote that three people had been killed, including two women, with others wounded. However, most sources, including posts on Facebook from members of the family and other people local to the area, listed the names of five members of the Sheikh Al-Eid family that were reported to have been killed in the attack. It is possible that the fifth member of the family was found under the rubble of the building after initial reports had been released, which may account for earlier, differing, reports of lower casualty figures.

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

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