Conflict

Israel and Gaza

Incident Code

ISPT0727

Location

بالقرب من برج عواد، حي الجنينة، رفح, Vicinity of Awad Tower, Al-Geneina neighbourhood, Rafah, Rafah, Palestinian territories

Geolocation

31.274444, 34.261389
Accuracy: Nearby landmark

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: February 7, 2025

Shortly before 20:04 on Sunday, 29 October 2023, at least eight identified members of the al-Kurd family, including four women and two children, were killed and at least five others, including a young girl, were injured when their home near to the Awad Tower in the Al-Geneina neighbourhood of Rafah was reportedly hit by an Israeli airstrike.

Safa news agency was the first to report the incident at 20:04, writing about six “martyrs” from the attack on the al-Kurd family home. A Facebook account called Official journalist Adel Zourub shared photographs from the attack showing a totally destroyed building with many people attempting to move the rubble in the full darkness of the night to try and find any survivors. The photos also included one of a young girl on an operating table with her leg bandaged and covered in dust. However, her identity is not known at the time of writing.

Fatma Ḿ Ṧw Facebook post listed the names of the eight family members who had been killed in the attack. A post on Facebook from Abu Ismail Abdullah Ismail Al-Kurd also gave the names of eight people killed in the attack, as well as listing three injuries.

Zaki Shukri al-Kurd was injured in the strike, sustaining a fractured elbow. However, his 47-year-old wife Kifah Ismail Shukri al-Kurd was killed alongside her 44-year-old sister Abeer Ismail Saeed al-Kurd and their five children with Zaki – three daughters: 18-year-old Sondos Zaki Shukri al-Kurd, 21-year-old Nour Zaki Shukri al-Kurd and 16-year-old Shahed Zaki Shukri al-Kurd, and two sons: 10-year-old Muhammad Zaki Shukri al-Kurd and 14-year-old Abdullah Zaki Shukri al-Kurd.

Zaki’s brother, Saeed Shukri al-Kurd was injured, having a fractured femur, alongside his two sons, Ahmed Saeed Shukri al-Kurd and Mahmoud Saeed Shukri al-Kurd who were reportedly taken to intensive care. His third son, 21-year-old Shukri Saeed Shukri al-Kurd, lost his life in the attack.

Facebook user Sweet Palestine mourned the loss of his two aunts, Kifah and Abeer, and their children, and shared the collage of their photos.

All names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on July 24th, 2024.

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

Victims

Family members (12)

Zaki Shukri Al-Kurd زكي شكري الكرد
Adult male injured
Kifah Ismail Shukri Al-Kurd كفاح اسماعيل شكري الكرد
47 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 901691659
Sondos Zaki Shukri Al-Kurd سندس زكي شكري الكرد
18 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 422607283
Nour Zaki Shukri al-Kurd نور زكي شكري الكرد
21 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 408657336
Muhammad Zaki Shukri Al-Kurd محمد زكي شكري الكرد
10 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 434536777
Shahed Zaki Shukri Al-Kurd شهد زكي شكري الكرد
19 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 409911344
Abdullah Zaki Shukri Al-Kurd عبدالله زكي شكري الكرد
14 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 429418205
Abeer Ismail Saeed Al-Kurd عبير اسماعيل سعيد الكرد
44 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 905403507
Saeed Shukri Al-Kurd سعيد شكري الكرد
Adult male injured
Shukri Saeed Shukri Al-Kurd شكري سعيد شكري الكرد
21 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 408861326
Ahmed Saeed Shukri Al-Kurd أحمد سعيد شكري الكرد
male injured
Mahmoud Saeed Shukri Al-Kurd محمود سعيد شكري الكرد
male injured

Key Information

Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike
Strike Status
Likely strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
8
3 Children, 4 Women, 1 Man
Civilians reported injured
5
1–3 Children, 2–4 Men

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of the Awad Tower (برج عواد) in the Al-Geneina neighbourhood (حي الجنينة) to the east of Rafah (رفح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.274444, 34.261389. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

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

Media From Sources (24)