Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0573

Incident date

October 24, 2023

Location

دير البلح, Deir Al Balah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.418995, 34.349442 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Around 5:08 in the evening of Tuesday, October 24th 2023, the home of the Shaldan family in Deir al-Balah located in the central Gaza Strip was allegedly bombed by the Israeli military, resulting in 12 civilian deaths, including three women and six children.

Safa News was among the first to report the incident, posting about six members of the Shaldan family being killed. Later social media testimonies by family relatives and friends helped to identify the names of the 12 killed family members.

62-year-old Amna Salman Shaldan Al-Najjar was killed alongside her brother, 52-year-old Muhammad Salman Shaldan Al-Najjar, her two sons, Mahmoud and Muhammad, her daughter Kifayeh, and at least five grandchildren.

Son of Amna, Mahmoud Mazen Shaldan was killed alongside his wife Umm Mazen Shaldan, and their three sons – 15-year-old Mazen Mahmoud Muhammad Shaldan, Muhammad Mahmoud Shaldan (age unknown), and seven-year-old Ahmed Mahmoud Shaldan.

Another son of Amna, 36-year-old Muhammad Mazen Muhammad Shaldan was killed alongside his three-year-old daughter Aseel Muhammad Shaldan, and a four-year-old son Anas Muhammad Shaldan.

Amna’s daughter, 28-year-old Kifayeh Mazen Mahmud Shaldan was also killed.

Mazen Muhammad Shaldan, possibly a son of Muhammad Mazen Muhammad Shaldan, was also mentioned as a victim killed in this incident. Yosef Ismail wrote a tribute and shared a photo of Mazen Muhammad Shalden.

Abo Yaseen Mutasem, son of Amna, shared the news of his family through his post. He wrote “I ask God Almighty to grant patience to our hearts and accept them as righteous martyrs, and we do not praise anyone before God. I hope that everyone who knows them and those who do not know them will forgive them in this world and the hereafter.”

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

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

The incident occured at approximately 5:08 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (12)

Amna Salman Shaldan Al-Najjar أمنه سلمان شلدان النجار
62 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 960300358
Mahmoud Mazen Shaldan محمود مازن شلدان
Adult male killed
Umm Mazen Shaldan م مازن شلدان
Adult female killed
Mazen Mahmoud Mazen Shaldan مازن محمود شلدان
15 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 424642924
Muhammad Mahmoud Shaldan محمد محمود شلدان
Child male killed
Ahmed Mahmoud Mazen Shaldan احمد محمود شلدان
7 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 437192644
Muhammad Mazen Muhammad Shaldan محمد مازن شلدان
36 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 800705097
Aseel Muhammad Mazen Shaldan أسيل محمد شلدان
3 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 443027230
Anas Muhammad Mazen Shaldan
4 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 441236007
Kifayeh Mazen Mahmud Shaldan
28 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 400618526
Mazen Muhammad Shaldan مازن محمد شلدان
Child male killed
Muhammad Salman Shaldan Al-Najjar محمد سلمان شلدان النجار
52 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 954627923

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Deir Al Balah (دير البلح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.418995, 34.349442. 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
    12
  • (6 children3 women3 men)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yosef ismail

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
    12
  • (6 children3 women3 men)
  • 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 (8) [ collapse]