Conflict

Israel and Gaza (from 2023)

Incident Code

ISPT0557

Location

Vicinity of Ali Mosque, Rafah, Rafah, Palestinian territories
مسجد علي بن أبي طالب، رفح

Geolocation

31.290003, 34.247267
Accuracy: Nearby landmark

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: January 28, 2025

At least one person was killed and dozens were injured on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, after an alleged Israeli military aircraft reportedly struck the Al-Halqawi family home next to Rabaa Shahida School and in the vicinity of the Ali Mosque in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Shehab Agency initially reported the incident but did not mention civilian injuries or casualties. Safa.ps would later claim that there were “martyrs and injured”. The X/Twitter account @alrayps and the Facebook user Mohammed Refat Farhat both declared the number of injured civilians was in the dozens, including serious injuries, with Mohammed Refat Farhat identifying only one “martyr” killed.

Wesam Rekhawi, who was injured in the attack, recounted his personal experience of the alleged strike in a Facebook post: “Praise be to God who saved me from death after the cowardly enemy targeted the house of my esteemed neighbors, the Al-Halaqawi family, which led to my injuries to my feet and hands, and tomorrow I will undergo surgery on my left foot.”

The Facebook user Sumayya Umm Sohaib posted a video showing a man bleeding and in significant pain along with a young boy, also bleeding, being carried on a single stretcher to receive treatment outside of what the user identifies as the Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Rafah. At least two other injured people can be seen in the video. A different user, Faras Abu Shrkh, uploaded several photographs showing injured individuals arriving on stretchers and receiving treatment in what seems to be the same location. Two of these civilians can be seen in both the video and some of the photographs. However, as these images were included in another incident which occurred near Ali Mosque on the same day, it is unclear if the injuries occurred in this incident.

No publicly available information regarding the reportedly deceased individuals was available.

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

Victims

Individuals

Wesam Rekhawi
Adult male injured

Key Information

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Ali Mosque (مسجد علي بن أبي طالب) in Rafah City (رفح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.290003, 34.247267. 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

Sources (8)

ShehabAgency
24 Oct 2023

Arabic

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Source ID

341296

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

24 Oct 2023

Source Author

ShehabAgency

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Shehab correspondent: "A house belonging to the Al-Halqawi family and another house belonging to the Nattat family were bombed in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip."

Content

مراسل شهاب: "قصف منزل لآل الحلقاوي ومنزل آخر لآل نطط في رفح جنوب القطاع"
Sumaya Umm Suhaib
24 Oct 2023

Arabic

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Source ID

341299

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

24 Oct 2023

Source Author

سمية ام صهيب

Source Author Translated

Sumaya Umm Suhaib

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

The moment the injured arrived at Kuwait Specialized Hospital after the targeting of the Al-Halqawi family home west of Rafah

Content

لحظة وصول الاصابات الى مستشفى الكويت التخصصي من استهداف منزل عائلة الحلقاوي غرب رفح
alrayps
24 Oct 2023

Arabic

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Source ID

341302

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

24 Oct 2023

Source Author

alrayps

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Urgent: Several citizens killed and dozens injured in the bombing of the Al-Halqawi family home west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Content

عاجل: ارتقاء عدد من المواطنين وعشرات الإصابات في قصف منزل عائلة "الحلقاوي" غرب رفح جنوب قطاع غزة.

Media from alrayps (1)

Wesam Rekhawi
24 Oct 2023

Arabic

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Source ID

341305

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

24 Oct 2023

Source Author

Wesam Rekhawi

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

The land is His, the command is His, and we are His servants. He is the Most Compassionate and Merciful towards us. Praise be to God who saved me from death after the cowardly enemy targeted the home of my dear neighbors, the Halqawi family, resulting in injuries to my feet and hand. Tomorrow I will undergo surgery on my left foot. Glory and eternity to our righteous martyrs, and a speedy recovery to the wounded. O God, make this an expiation for my sins and an ease for my affairs. O God, all praise is due to You until You are pleased.

Content

الأَرضُ أَرْضُه والأَمرُ أمره ونحنُ عباده وهو بنا أحنُّ وأرحَمُ الحمد لله الذي نجاني من الموت بعد إستهداف العدو الجبان لمنزل جيرآني آل الحلقاوي الكرام ، مما أدى لإصابتي بقدماي ويدي ، وغدٱ سأخضع لعملية جراحية بقدمي اليسرى ، المجد والخلود لشهدائنا الأبرار الشفاء العاجل للجرحى ، اللهم إجعلها تكفير لذنوبي وتيسيرٱ لأمري فاللهم لك الحمد حتى ترضى
Firas Abu Sharikh
24 Oct 2023

Arabic

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Source ID

341308

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

24 Oct 2023

Source Author

فراس أبو شرخ

Source Author Translated

Firas Abu Sharikh

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

#Photos of several injuries, some serious, arriving at Kuwait Hospital after a house belonging to the Halqawi family was targeted near the Ali Mosque west of Rafah. Photography | Firas Abu Sharikh

Content

#صور وصول عدد من الاصابات منها الخطيرة الى مستشفى الكويت بعد استهداف منزل يعود لعائلة الحلقاوي محيط مسجد علي غرب رفح تصوير | فراس أبو شرخ

Media from Firas Abu Sharikh (6)

Media from Sources (15)