On the afternoon of Monday, October 30, 2023, at least 21 identified civilians, including seven women and eight named children, were killed and dozens, among them many children, were injured in three alleged Israeli airstrikes on the homes of the Tamraz and Jouda families and on the Tal al-Qamar wedding hall housing displaced persons and located opposite the al-Salhi Towers and al-Mustaqbal Building in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, central Gaza Strip.

At 16:41 on October 30, the Palestinian Press Agency (Safa.ps) reported “More than 20 martyrs and dozens of wounded as [Israeli] aircraft bombed two homes and a wedding hall housing displaced persons in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.” Mohammad Alsaafin tweeted a report by Al Jazeera’s Hisham Zaqout stating that “3 Israeli airstrikes hit [the wedding hall] last night” and that “everyone here was either killed or wounded.”

A video tweeted by @ejaznetwork showed at least two plumes of smoke rising from a dense urban area, with the caption reporting “more than 20 martyrs in the [Israeli military’s] targeting of the “Tal al-Qamar” hall.”

According to Arabi21 News, “Palestinian sources confirmed that [Israeli] aircraft targeted the “Tal al-Qamar” hall in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza City…The hall was housing dozens of displaced people who took refuge in it, and the new massacre resulted in at least 26 martyrs.” Various other sources reported death tolls ranging from 20-26 people as a result of the alleged Israeli bombing. Twitter/X user @saleemghouri786 however stated that more than 26 people were killed.

A video tweeted by @Abdulrahma88304 showed a number of people who were injured in the alleged strike on the wedding hall, including multiple children, being treated in a hospital. A medical worker is shown carrying a dead baby in his arms. The clip noted that “a search is underway for missing persons under the rubble.” On October 31, Mohamed Alyousef shared the same video, as well as a second clip showing an injured little girl shivering on a hospital stretcher.

al-Hayawi family

The owner of the wedding hall Youssef al-Hayawi (Abu Iyad) (58) and his son, Moataz Youssef al-Hayawi (19), were killed when Israeli aircraft allegedly bombed the Tal al-Qamar wedding hall.

On November 2, 2023, The Palestine Chronicle published an article detailing the alleged October 30 strike on the Tal al-Qamar wedding hall and how “the place that hosted hundreds of celebrations, where joy resonated, and where smiles adorned every face, was transformed into rubble by Israeli shelling.” The piece featured interviews with some of the surviving relatives of those killed, including Anas al-Hayawi, who explained that his uncle, Abu Iyad, “hosted dozens of displaced citizens in the Nuseirat camp. He opened the door to the wedding hall he owns next to his house and tried to provide them with a place to sleep, rather than having them sleep on the streets. However, the [Israeli military] did not approve of this, and they committed a heinous crime that led to dozens of killed and injuries.”

Further underlining the connection between Israel’s forced displacement of residents of northern Gaza and the casualties of this alleged strike, the article quoted Ahmed Abu Hamada, saying “Haj Abu Iyad [al-Hayawi]…opened the doors of the wedding hall he owns to [civilians] seeking shelter…after UNRWA schools became overcrowded and unable to accommodate tens of thousands of displaced people.” According to Abu Hamada, “on Monday afternoon, Israeli aircraft bombarded the [Tal al-Qamar] Wedding Hall and the surrounding houses with an incendiary belt, resulting in dozens of casualties, all of whom were children, women, and civilians. The owner of the hall and his son were also killed.”

Following the alleged Israeli strike, numerous loved ones shared their grief online. On Facebook, Omar al Hiwy wrote “today, my uncle Youssef al-Hayawi and his son Moataz were martyred during the bombing…My friend’s family, the Tamraz family and the Jouda family, were all martyred. There was a bombing on our area.” Nabil al-Ahiwi shared photos of his relatives Youssef and Moataz, writing “I offer my condolences to myself and my cousins for the martyrdom of Uncle Youssef al-Hayouya (Abu Iyad) and his son Moataz al-Hayouya as a result of the brutal aggression in the Gaza Strip.”

Jouda family

The attack took the lives of the members of Jouda family. Among the killed were Dr. Yahya Abdel-Jawad Jouda (50) along with, his wife Amal Arif Ahmed Salman (44), their sons Moez Yahya Jouda (10) and Majd Yahya Jouda (12), and their two daughters Mayar Yahya Jouda (18) and Mayas Yahya Jouda (16). A third son of Yahya and Amal named Muhammad Yahya Jouda (age unavailable) was injured.

Yousuf S. Jouda grieved “the martyrdom of my dear uncle Yahya Abu Muhammad and all his family members after their house was targeted: Yahya Abdel-Jawad Darwish Jouda, my aunt Amal Arif Ahmed Salman, Mayar Yahya Abdel-Jawad Jouda, Mayas Yahya Abdel-Jawad Jouda, Majd Yahya Abdel-Gawad Jouda, [and] Moez Yahya Abdel-Jawad Jouda.”

The day after the alleged strike, Taer El-Naurase honored Mayar Joudeh by sharing a video of her standing at a podium and reciting a poem “about Jerusalem as part of the solidarity stand carried out by female students on the school radio.” The Mamdouh Saidam Secondary School for Girls honored Mayar and her sister, Mayas Yahya Jouda, sharing smiling photos of the two girls as well as a screenshot of a heartbreaking message from Mayar in which she wrote about her fear of dying and her final prayers.

Mohamad Salman shared a charming headshot of “my dear friend, Dr. Yahya Jouda Shahid,” where he is dressed in a suit, and wrote that “my wife’s sister, Mrs. Amal Salman, is a martyr, Their children: Mayar, Mayas, Majd, and Moez, are martyrs, Muhammad is injured, may God be kind to him and heal him.”

Tamraz family

The Tamraz family lost thirteen family members. Misbah Hassan Abdel Hadi Tamraz (44), his wife Amani Attia Tamraz (39), their sons Youssef Misbah Tamraz (15) and Muhammad Misbah Tamraz (13), and their daughter, Rima Misbah Tamraz (10) were killed in the alleged Israeli strike.

A married couple Samir Hassan Abdel Hadi Tamraz (55) and Nabila Muhammad Tamraz (50) were killed, along with their son Hossam Samir Tamraz (26), their daughters Hadeel Samir Tamraz (30), Malak Samir Tamraz (18), and Maryam Samir Tamraz (11), their daughter-in-law Samar Abu Shanab (25), and their grandson (Samar’s son) Samir Muhammad Samir Tamraz (4).

In a video interview shared by Abu Qaffa Qaffa on Facebook, a surviving member of the Tamraz family, Youssef Tamraz, describes the alleged Israeli airstrike that killed his relatives. Abu Khalil posted mourned “the martyrdom of two families of cousins from the Tamraz family and their sons and daughters… The martyrs are the family of Misbah Tamraz, he and his wife Amani Attia Tamraz, my niece, and all of their sons except his, eldest, handsome son…and the martyrdom of his late brother, Samir Tamraz, along with his wife and all members of his family except for his sons Muhammad and Hamada.” Reham Jamil wrote “my cousin Amani Attia Tamraz, her husband and children rose to the level of martyrs.” Mahmoud Ahmed grieved for “my beloved friend Muhammad Misbah Tamraz” calling him “a bird of paradise” and sharing a photo of Muhammad. Asma Rabah honored “the beloved of all of our hearts and the companion of our souls in the mosque and memorization circles, Waseem Tamraz’s mother, May God have mercy on you, my love, and accept you, your husband, your children, and the love of my soul, Rima. Our hearts hurt, my love. We were shocked by the news, I swear… We bear witness to God that you were the best sister and memorizer of the Book of God and keen on memorizing the flowers of our mosque.”

A few days after the strike, Ahmed Teem shared photos of Samir and his son Hossam and Omar Abu Hamda‎‏ shared another nice photo of Hossam. Another relative of the Tamraz family, Zaki Timraz, shared a video taken in the aftermath of the “bombing of the house of my uncle Samir Tamraz.” The clip showed an expanse of rubble from flattened and mostly destroyed buildings, as well as a burned-out car and charred palm trees.

Raneen Abu Shanab announced “with great sadness and sadness… I offer my condolences to my uncle, as my uncle passed by the martyrdom of my cousin (Samar Anwar Abu Shanab)…The kindest girl and the one who used to make us happy when she was sitting is gone. May God have mercy on her, O Lord, and grant us patience and patience with her separation. Anwar Abu Shanab, Umm Abdullah al-Hato Suhad Anwar.”

The attack and its aftermath

According to witness Ahmed Farajullah, “I was shocked by a violent bombardment…I rushed to the scene and was among the first to arrive at the site of the bombing. The atmosphere was terrifying, and the remains of children and women were scattered everywhere.” Explaining how he and others initially handled the aftermath of the alleged strike, Farajullah described how “the large number of Palestinians killed and wounded, and the extensive bombardment forced us to provide first aid and evacuate the bodies and casualties using civilian vehicles. We would place 3 or 4 bodies and injured individuals in a single car and transport them to the nearby Return Hospital. This hospital would deal with simple cases and transport the bodies and the critical and moderate cases to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.”

He also described in horrific detail having “to retrieve [body parts of women and children] from the trees and from under the rubble.” Another surviving relative, Ahmed Tamraz said, “The Israeli [military] killed all the members of my uncle Samir’s family and my uncle Misbah’s family” and “that everyone…who lived in the house, worked in trade, and they were all civilians.”

A video posted on Facebook by Press Abeer Albanna revealed the extent of the destruction of the wedding hall and adjacent residential buildings, showing a large crowd gathered at the site which appears to be covered in debris. Photos posted by Arabi21 News, the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA News), and Jawhara FM showed significant damage to infrastructure as well. A photo tweeted by @crazymanforever showed two people assisting an injured man onto a stretcher at the still-smoldering site of the alleged strike, with press and emergency workers visible in the background.

In a poignant post, Fatima Jaber shared her reflections about the alleged attack on the Tal al-Qamar wedding hall and the surrounding community, writing “today’s massacre reminded me of the Tal al-Qamar hall in the Yarmouk camp…This hall witnessed my wedding and a very large number of those who attended the ceremony, including friends and family, left this life without me being able to take a last look at them and say goodbye to them…The Tal Al-Qamar Hall in the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp in Damascus was bombed…but the memories remained. ”

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.