On October 29th 2023, at least 34 members of the Juma’a family were killed, including at least seven children and five women, and more than 27 others were injured by an alleged Israeli airstrike on their home near the Al Saftawi roundabout in the northern Gaza Strip.

On October 29th, Shehab News reported “a number of martyrs and injuries in the Israeli bombing on a house for the “Juma’a” family near Al Saftawi roundabout in the northern Gaza Strip, and destruction in a number of surrounding homes, and the specialized crews are still working to extract wounded and martyrs from under the rubble.” The post includes photos by photographer Anas Al Sharif showing rescue workers and others searching through the debris and retrieving casualties. A video posted on Twitter/X by Al Jazeera Palestine shows dozens of people, including many rescue workers in Red Crescent and Ministry of Health EMS uniforms, covering bodies or placing them in body bags before carrying them away on stretchers. Cries from mourners can be heard throughout the video.

Soon after the incident sources reported a rising casualty toll. On Facebook, Gaza Event news reported “16 deaths so far and more than 27 (injured) as a result of the occupation’s attack on the home of the “Juma’a” family near the Al Saftawi roundabout in northern Gaza a short while ago.” Sharing a video of medical workers administering CPR to a young girl, Abdellah SidiMhamed wrote “the number of martyrs of the Juma’a family massacre increased to 18.” Habat Aldura posted, “#Updated: 19 citizens from the Juma’a family were martyred in the Al Saftawi area in the northern Gaza Strip after their homes were targeted by warplanes.” According to @ytiraw, seven children and four women were among those killed.

The Ministry of the Interior in Gaza later alleged that Israeli forces “resumes bombardment next to the home of the Jumaa family near Al Saftawi roundabout in the northern Gaza Strip, while ambulance crews work to recover the martyrs and injured,” with Al Jazeera Palestine terming it a “double Israeli bombing”, and Twitter/X user @AlanWkalt posting “Civil defense personnel are now being (bombed) while retrieving the martyrs from under the rubble of the Juma family home.” The casualties from the second strike have been assessed separately in ISPT0699.

The names of 34 members of the family who were killed and four others who were injured were shared online by relatives and others, with Facebook user Khaled Abdel Salam Abu Walid posting “Martyrs and injured of the Jumaa family massacre on 10/29/2023, the night the Internet was cut off, during which five homes were bombed at once.”

The names of the victims are as follows: Siblings Ali Rajab Juma’a (28), Muhammad Rajab Juma’a (36) and Subha Rajab Juma’a (26) were killed.

Ramzya Ghazi Juma’a (48) was also killed, and the siblings Ghazi Mazen Juma’a (18), and his sister, Fidaa Mazen Juma’a (24) were killed, while Abdul Karim Mazen Juma’a (age unknown) was severely injured and reportedly had both of his feet amputated as a result.

Brothers Ahmed Awad Juma’a (18) and Muhammad Awad Juma’a (20) were killed, and their sibling, Olfat Awad Juma’a (age unknown), was seriously injured and was reported to have required a foot amputation.

Siblings Ahmed Kamel Juma’a (29), Layan Kamel Juma’a (6), and Dalal Kamel Juma’a (age unknown) were also killed. Siblings Fatima Jamal Juma’a (25), Yassin Jamal Juma’a (age unknown), Salah Jamal Juma’a (22), Elham Jamal Juma’a (26), Faten Jamal Juma’a (age unknown), and Youssef Jamal Juma’a (16) were also reportedly killed in the alleged strike.

Muhammad Shaaban Juma’a (71) was killed and his brother, Mazen Shaaban Juma’a (age unknown), was seriously injured and required surgery. Saad Abdel Karim Juma’a (35), Rajab Saeed Juma’a (59), Mahmoud Shehdeh Juma’a (54), and Buthaina Mahmoud Juma’a were also killed.

Brothers Najah Tariq Juma’a (9) and Muhammad Tariq Juma’a (6) were killed and their brother Ahmed Tariq Juma’a (age unknown) had allegedly incurred a serious head injury. Siblings Retal Saad Juma’a (age unknown) and Bilal Saad Juma’a (age unknown) were killed, along with Rajab Muhammad Rajab Juma’a (9) and Mahmoud Muhammad Rajab Juma’a (age unknown).

According to Khaled, at the time of posting, Rajab Saeed Juma’a, Hanadi Kamel Juma’a, Suba al-Shafi’i Juma’a, Yasser Kamel Juma’a and Marwa Kamel Juma’a were missing and presumed dead, while the remaining killed were buried. A few days later on November 3rd, a Facebook group for the Juma’a family posted pictures of a handwritten list of 35 relatives reportedly killed in the alleged strike. The list confirmed the deaths of Hanadi Kamel Juma’a, Suba al-Shafi’i Juma’a, Yasser Kamel Juma’a and Marwa Kamel Juma’a, and also included the names Maysoon Kamil Saed Juma’a, Hafiza Juma’a and Fatima Muhammed Shaaban Juma’a as victims killed in the alleged strike. Kamel Saeed Juma’a, previously reported by Khaled as having been severely injured, was also on the list of those killed and the Ministry of Health list, likely having succumbed to his injuries.

On October 29th, Manal Dana shared photos and videos taken in the aftermath of the strike, with many of the images showing dead or injured children inside a hospital. In one video, a man holds two lifeless toddlers as he speaks into the camera. Another clip shows rescuers frantically digging through rubble to free an injured man and then carrying him on a gurney to an ambulance. On October 30th, Akroum Jumaa posted photos of dozens of shrouded bodies, writing “my family are martyrs and wounded, more than 30 martyrs fell, where are your angels, oh God? The Friday massacre.”

Where possible, names have been reconciled with published Palestinian Ministry of Health lists. With thanks to journalist Alexandre Horn from CheckNews for identifying relevant sources, and Data Tech for Palestine for centralising the datasets.

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