At dawn on 27 October 2023, two civilians were killed and another was injured by an alleged Israeli strike which hit their family home in Gaza City.

On her Facebook page, Sobhi Shakalaih identified her uncle, 69-year-old Jaber Sobhi Shaqliyeh (Abu Majdi), and her cousin, 35-year-old Maram Hammid (Hassan) Shaqliyeh (al-Rifi) as having been killed in the attack. B’Tselem field researcher Olfat al-Kurd collected the testimony of Madlin Shaqlieh-Sawalhi, Maram’s sister, on 22 April 2024, detailing how the incident unfolded and led to her death.

Maram, a business management graduate, was described by her sister Madlin: “She was a vivacious person, with a sweet temper and a beautiful laugh. She loved her family very much and her home, which was always well-kept. She had many friends who loved her very much. She always looked after mom and dad, because she got married last and lived with them longer. When Yumana was born, she was so happy.” She had been married for a year and a half to Omar al-Rifi and had a five-month-old daughter, Yumana, who was, as Madlin explained, “the joy of her life.”

On 17 October 2023, while sheltering in her husband’s family home in al-Sabra, Maram was bathing baby Yumana with her sister-in-law, Layla, and Layla’s newborn, Alina, when the house was bombed (assessed separately in ISPT0332h). Yumana was killed instantly, alongside Layla and her infant. Maram was injured in the shoulder, relatively lightly, and mainly suffered from minor burns. She was overwhelmed by sorrow; she could not stop crying, often clutching Yumana’s little blanket and whispering her name. Her family persuaded her and her husband to move south to Khan Younis, hoping the presence of loved ones and a change of surroundings might offer some comfort. Tragically, just ten days later, on 27 October 2023, Maram herself was killed in a second bombing in Gaza City. Her husband, Omar al-Rifi, was critically injured.

According to the Facebook profile of Maram, her last job was an animator at UNRWA, while previously she occupied different accountant positions.

Where possible, the names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released a number of lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, Maran’s name was matched to the second “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on January 7, 2025, while Jaber’s name was matched to the fifth list released on July 24, 2024.

Family members and friends mourned the devastating loss. On her Facebook page, Reem Darabaih expressed shock and grief at Maram’s death, saying how hearing about Maram’s death came as a shock, “that broke our hearts”. She prayed for mercy upon Maram and Yumana and wished patience for the family: “There is no power nor strength save in God. May God give you patience.”

Similarly, Manal Darabeh mourned the loss of her cousin Maram Shaqliyeh, describing her as “my love, my life, and my soul”. She prayed for God’s mercy upon Maram and strength for the family, saying, “May God reward you greatly. May God give you patience, my beloved ones.”

Rawan AlKatri expressed condolences on the loss of Maram Shaqliyeh, praying for mercy on her soul and offering sympathy to her family – Umm Hussam Darabiyah, Abu Hussam Shaqlih, and Madlin Shaqalih and prayed for God to heal and protect her husband, Omar.

Many social media sources, including Manal Darabeh and Alaa Msalam on Facebook, shared an image of smiling Maram, wearing a white striped shirt, a black jacket and a white headscarf, holding her smiling infant daughter. B’Tselem also posted a family photo featuring Maram with her husband Omar and their daughter, sitting in a cafe.

Similarly, online tributes were also paid to Jaber Sobhi Shaqliyeh.

On his Facebook page, Mohammud Magde wrote a heartfelt tribute to Jaber Shaqlieh (Abu Majdi), describing him as “the love of my heart and the flower of my soul” and praying for God’s mercy upon him.

Sakina Bint from Al Hussein Secondary School for Girls expressed sincere condolences and sympathy to teacher Iman Shaqliyeh for the loss of her father, Hajj Jaber Shaqliyeh.

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