Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0583a

Incident date

October 24, 2023

Location

بالقرب من مسجد اليرموك، مدينة غزة, Vicinity of Yarmouk Mosque, Gaza City, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.522500, 34.462778 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On Tuesday, October 24th, 2023, at least 11 civilian members of the Hassouna family, including three women and six children, and up to 30 civilians were reportedly killed and dozens were injured as a result of an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Hassouna family’s home located on Al-Nafaq Street near the Yarmouk Mosque in downtown Gaza City, Gaza Strip. Airwars has been able to identify at least 11 civilians by name.

New Arab News reported that there were around 30 family members in the house which was struck and that they were all killed. Twitter/X user @yaso2039 reported at 2:01 PM quoting an Al-Resala correspondent that more than 10 killed civilians had arrived at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex as a result of the bombing.

Abu Hamada Al-ameer mentioned in his post that the Hassouna family bid farewell to more than 35 martyrs and dozens of wounded in three separate raids in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood and Al-Nafaq and Al-Jalaa Streets. However, the exact number of the injured in this particular incident is now known.

Many local sources, including posts from Karim Hazem Mushtaha, Sameh J Saad Eddin and Magles Moshtaha reported on the bombing and provided names of those killed.

31-year-old Mahmoud Majed Asaad Mushtaha was killed alongside his 25-year-old wife Nasma Saleh Ali Hassouna and their two-year-old son Karim Mahmoud Majed Asaad Mushtaha. Karim Hazem Mushtaha mourned their death along with five others in his Facebook post and shared an image of a smiling middle-aged man in a blue T-shirt holding a small child in his hands, apparently Mahmoud with Karim.

New Arab News spoke to Majed Mushtaha, the 62-year-old father of Mahmoud, who stated that “no one who was at home is alive now” and that he had lost four of his grandchildren. He told the media that his 31-year-old son Mahmoud along with his wife and their child went to another relative’s home for safety. “I told my sons that we should not all reside in one house during the attack for fear that Israel would bomb our house and kill us all,” Majed explained. “I wanted one of us to remain alive, so my sons dispersed to different houses. Mahmoud went to his in-laws’ house with his wife and his two-year-old child, Karim.”

Majed added: “I wish we had all stayed together at the same house. I wish I had given Mahmoud a last hug and kissed my grandchildren for the last time. Mahmoud was my youngest son, a kind-hearted man. How will his mother bear the loss of her youngest child? I have also lost four of my grandchildren — Karim, Sara, Nour, and Assad. They are all just children, what did they ever do to anyone?”

34-year-old Safaa Gamal Saad Ahmed Al-Din (Mushtaha) (Umm Majid) was killed along with her two sons, 12-year-old Majed Assad Majed Asaad Mushtaha and 11-year-old Hamza Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha, and her two daughters, six-year-old Lana Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha and seven-year-old Sarah Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha.

Sources also stated that the 24-year-old sister of Safaa, Hala Gamal Ahmed Saad El-Din was killed in the incident alongside her husband, 34-year-old Khaled Saleh Hassouna, and their daughter Nevin Khaled Hassouna (age unknown).

Names of all but one identified victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023

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

The incident occured at approximately 2:00 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (11)

Mahmoud Majed Asaad Mushtaha محمود ماجد أسعد مشتهى
31 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 803598762
Nasma Saleh Hassouna نسمة صالح حسونة
25 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 403693393
Karim Mahmoud Majed Asaad Mushtaha كريم محمود ماجد أسعد مشتهى
2 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 444414999
Safaa Gamal Saad Al-Din صفاء جمال سعد الدين
34 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 800801920
Majed Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha ماجد أسعد ماجد أسعد مشتهى
12 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 430041657
Hamza Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha حمزة أسعد ماجد أسعد مشتهى
11 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 433178019
Lana Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha لانا أسعد ماجد أسعد مشتهى
6 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 438455008
Sarah Asaad Majed Asaad Mushtaha سارة أسعد ماجد أسعد مشتهى
7 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 436881353
Hala Gamal Ahmed Saad El-Din هلا جمال احمد سعد الدين
24 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 404630204
Khaled Saleh Hassouna خالد صالح حسونة
34 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802489997
Nevin Khaled Hassouna نيڤين خالد حسونة
Child female killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of the Yarmouk Mosque (مسجد اليرموك) in Gaza City (مدينة غزة), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.522500, 34.462778. 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
  • Infrastructure
    Residential
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 30
  • (6 children3 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Karim hazem mushtaha

Israeli Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Israeli Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Infrastructure
    Residential
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    11 – 30
  • (6 children3 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (9) [ collapse]