Shortly before 1:48 AM on October 24th 2023, 21 members of the Mukhaimer family, including at least eight women and one child, were killed and at least several family members, including an infant, were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on their home located in the Tal Al-Sultan area, west of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Testimonies by family relatives and friends on social media helped to identify the names of all 21 victims killed.

63-year-old Hamada Misbah Mukhaimer (Abu Musa) was killed along with his wife, Amal Mukhaimer al-Bayoumi. Many social media users shared an image of the late Hamada, an elderly man with grey hair and moustache, often dressed in a suit.

Five adult children of Hamada and Amal were immediately killed, with their wounded sibling passing away from injuries two weeks later. Their 26-year-old son, Mohamed Hamada Mukhaimer, 35-year-old son Musa Hamada Mukhaimer, 29-year-old daughter Iman Hamada Mukhaimer, 31-year-old daughter Fidaa Hamada Mukhaimer, and 34-year-old daughter Salma Hamada Mukhaimer married to Dr. Alaa Abu Shawar were killed in the strike, along with Salma’s son, two-year-old Ali Alaa Nasr Abu Shawar. Musa Hamada Mukhaimer, son of Hamada and Amal, was severely wounded in the strike and passed away as a result of his injuries on November 4, 2023. A child and extended relative, Fathi Alaa Mukhaimer, was also injured.

Also killed in the strike were 82-year-old Fathi Abdel Fattah Mukhaimer, and his eldest son, 39-year-old, Alaa Fathi Mukhaimer. Fathi’s sisters, 80-year-old Souad Abdel Fattah Mukhaimer and 62-year-old Rawda Abdel Fattah Mukhaimer (Umm Anas), and Rawda’s 63-year-old husband, Ahmed Abdel Hamid Mukhaimer (Abu Anas) were also killed.

Four sons of Ahmed Abdel Hamid Mukhaimer and Rawda Mukhaimer were also killed – namely, 38-year-old Anas Ahmed Mukhaimer, 31-year-old Abdul Hamid Ahmed Mukhaimer, 34-year-old Nimr Ahmed Mukhaimer, and 27-year-old Muhammad Ahmed Mukhaimer.

37-year-old Muhammad Hassan Mukhaimer was killed alongside his sisters, 46-year-old Khuloud Hassan Mukhaimer and Rawda Hassan Mukhaimer (age currently unavailable).

Athar Ibrahim Mukhaimer was also named among the victims killed.

Reports of the strike were posted online soon after the strike. At 1:48 AM Shehab Agency reported that three deceased women were transferred to Al-Najjar Hospital after a house of the Mukhaimer family was hit. At 3:50 AM on October 24, Safa Press Service reported that “[Israeli] aircraft targeted a house for the “Mukhaimer” family in the Tal Al-Sultan area in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. There were martyrs and injuries at the scene.”

A video posted to Facebook by Alaa Hasan shows a crowd of people gathered in the dark at the location of the strike, with rescuers retrieving a body from beneath the rubble of the Mukhaimer family home and wrapping it in a blanket. In a Facebook post from the same day, Umm Abdallah’s Kitchen wrote “martyrs of the Mukhaimer family massacre this morning in Rafah” and shared photos and videos of the destroyed home and of some of the victims of the alleged Israeli strike. In one clip, dozens of people continue to sort through the debris of crushed concrete, rebar, and personal objects such as a wheelchair. Two of the photos show a row of bodies wrapped in white cloth.

Journalist Tariq Abu Ishaq shared a video of a toddler being treated in a hospital, writing that “an injured child was found next to the Mukhaimer family’s house in Rafah, which was targeted by [Israeli] aircraft a short while ago. Whoever recognizes him informs his family to receive him from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.” Ishaq later provided an update saying “He was identified by his name Fathi Alaa Mukhaimer and his family were on the way to receive him.”

Hamada Misbah Mukhaimer, known to many as “Abu Musa,” was a prominent lawyer and teacher. On the day of the strike, the Fatah Gaza movement announced his death on its official website, stating that “the Democratic Reform Movement in the Fatah movement mourned with great pride the martyr, freedom fighter, Counselor Hamada Mukhaimer.” According to Facebook user Tareq Alzar, Mukhaimer was involved in the defense of several Palestinians in Israeli courts.

On Facebook, lawyer Amnah al-Derby wrote, “The teacher, educator, friend, and motivator is gone, the brave and encouraging is gone, the strong one is gone, the owner of the legal school and the one with judicial expressions… All words will not do you justice, my teacher, to your pure soul, a thousand peace to you and your family. My teacher, mentor, and legal and judicial reference. ….Rafah’s chief lawyer, Counselor A. Hamada Mukhaimer is a martyr.”

Highlighting some of Hamada’s other legal accomplishments, journalist Kamel Ghareeb reported that Mukhaimer was “the current legal advisor to the Rafah Services Club and a member of its General Assembly [as well as] a former member of the Appeals and Disciplinary Committees of the Palestinian Football Association.” Mukhaimer was “a well-known sports jurist who has pleaded various cases before the Sports Court in Palestine.”

A neighbour, Khaled Juma, mourned their deaths in a Facebook post, lamenting the human loss: “Umm Ali, Salma Mukhaimer, the wife of Alaa Abu Shawar Ibn Nasr, and her uncle is the martyr Musa al-Hanafi, was also martyred because Musa is Hamada Mukhaimer’s brother. Her father, lawyer Hamada Mukhaimer, his wife, his daughters, and their relatives who came from Gaza to Rafah were also martyred. They were our neighbors in the Shaboura camp.” Attaching a picture of a smiling infant on a beach, Juma emphasized the child’s youth: “The photo is of Ali Alaa Nasr Abu Shawar, two-year-old…”

Hamada’s daughter, Salma Hamada Mukhaimer, was known for her work as a freelance journalist. Following her death, @AidaAlami and @channeldraw tweeted that “[Mukhaimer], a freelance journalist, was killed alongside her child in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.” Ms. Magazine reported the same information in an article titled “Reporting Under Fire: Honoring the Journalists Covering the Israeli-Gaza War.”

Facebook user Wafa’ Abdelrahman shared a picture of the smiling Salma in a striped shirt and a pink hijab together with her husband and small Ali dressed in a matching shirt. Hussam Hamzeh Himour wrote a condolence message on Facebook to Dr. Alaa Abu Shawar, extending condolences on his wife and her family’s passing.

Alaa Naser wrote in his post that Salma came to Gaza from Jordan, presumably for a visit, and shared two family pictures – one featuring a smiling Salma with her husband and son standing behind their seated parents, another of Salma standing together with her parents.

In a post from October 25th, 2023, Maphaz Ahmad Yousef described some of her favourite memories of spending time with Salma and her family at the Mukhaimer home, writing: “Salma and her family lived here. Uncle Hamada and aunts Amal, Iman, Fida, Muhammad, Ayat, and Musa. The house was filled with laughter. They are all lighthearted. I used to spend hours with them. Iman brings me coffee. Salouma prepares sweets so that we can eat them and reduce the bitterness of the coffee. My beloved aunt used to come and light up our seats…Only Salma and her family knew I was coming when I went to Gaza. They come to receive me from the crossing, and I stay with them and we plan together how I want to surprise my family. Salma was a sweet memory for me. Her room is a witness to our non-stop conversations. She used to say, “It’s enough for you to go, the dawn has come upon us.” Don’t you know, Salma, that I can’t get enough of talking to you? I’m trying to make the most of every minute of my short visit Many times when I used to come to you, your mother would say, “Are you coming to Gaza for Salma or for us?”…Salma is a piece of my soul. On the 18th day of the war on Gaza and hours before that, I sent her a message saying, “My heart is broken, Salma.” She told me, ‘me too.’…The house and the family are gone. Salma, her son, his uncle, his aunt, Iman, Fidaa, and Muhammad were gone. Ayat remained a witness to this calamity.”

Ahmed Zohier Agha shared photos of Fathi Abdel Fattah Mukhaimer – known to some as “Abu Al Alaa” – and his son Alaa Fathi Mukhaimer standing near the sea, writing an obituary to the father and son: “The Mukhaimer family massacre: 17 martyrs. The dear, caring uncle, the able professor, the fighter, and the educator of generations, the martyr Fathi Abdel Fattah Mukhaimer, his son Alaa, and 15 martyrs from his family and relatives.”

Rabeh Mohammad Ameen posted a smiling photo of Alaa Mukhaimer, writing “My brother-in-law, Alaa Mukhaimer, was martyred this morning in Rafah.”

Basel al-Taluli posted photos of the brothers Muhammad and Anas Mukhaimer, calling the two men “good friends and neighbors with good morals.” Ahmed Mohamed shared on Facebook “My childhood and work friend, my cousin and my aunt’s daughter / Athar Ibrahim Mukhaimer is a martyr.”

Abdelrahman Diab offered condolences to the members of the Mukhaimer family on the death of Muhammad, Khuloud, and Rawda.

Ahmed Mohamed mourned her death in his post, writing “My childhood and work friend, my cousin and my aunt’s daughter / Athar Ibrahim Mukhaimer is a martyr. Today, Athar left a wound that days will not heal. May God have mercy on you and grant your family patience and solace.”

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

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

The incident occured at approximately 1:00 am local time.