Airwars assessment
On the evening of Monday, October 30th or in the early hours of October 31st 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike killed at least nine civilians, including three children and two women, and injured two others at the Al Wahidi family home in the Al Sinaa neighborhood of Gaza.
The identified victims were 57-year-old journalist Imad Abdul Mahdi Zarai al-Wahidi, who was killed with his sister 55-year-old Manal Abdul Mahdi al-Wahidi, her son 31-year-old Firas Nihad Dahshan al-Wahidi and Firas’ little daughter, 6-year-old Manal Firas al-Wahidi. Artist Inas al-Saqa, 53, was killed along with her daughters Sarah Alaa Talib Abu Sidou, who was 17 years old, and Lynn Alaa Talib Abu Sidou, who was only 15. Her son, 12-year-old Ibrahim Alaa Sidou, who was initially reported missing, did not survive. Two daughters, Rita Alaa Talib Abu Sidou and Farah Alaa Talib Abu Sidou, survived the alleged attack but were reportedly injured.
Wafa News and Al-Aqsa Voice noted that Imad Abdul Mahdi Al-Wahidi was a Palestine TV journalist.
A video posted on the Facebook account of the Palestinian Civil Defense the night of the alleged strike appears to show Imad Abdul’s body being taken out from beneath the rubble of his destroyed house. At least four more bodies can be seen being retrieved from the debris by the Civil Defense, including that of a young woman. The footage also shows how the rescuers carried what seems to be two survivors out of the scene in a stretcher. In the final clip, another body can be seen still trapped under the ruins.
Messages of sorrow were posted almost immediately on social media by relatives and friends of the victims. Imad Abdul Al-Wahidi’s daughter-in-law, Maryam Malik, shared photos of her father-in-law and her brother-in-law, along with a picture of cardboard improvised tombstones. “O Allah, reward us for our affliction and replace it with something better”, she wrote.
Omar Abu Hani also expressed his condolences by posting a selfie with Firas Al-Wahidi on his Facebook account. Alongside the image of his friend, he wrote: “May God have mercy on you, O pain of the heart, none of our loved ones remain, they are all gone. My love, my brother, my soul, my friend Firas Al-Wahidi”.
Mousa Azab also posted a photo of Firas Al-Wahidi, posing with his daughter, Manal Firas Al-Wahidi, on the beach. In her post, Mousa Azab sorrowfully mentions that his friend was the “kindest of people” and that with the loss, “the eye sheds tears, the heart grieves, and we are truly saddened by your departure”. Another user, Youssef Kassab, wrote about Firas: “I will miss you for the rest of my life, my friend and brother”.
According to the Twitter/X account @GazaMartyrs, Inas Al-Saqa was “among the first women to work” in Gaza’s theatrical scene, with notable plays on the subjects of war and the life of Palestinian women and children, such as “Women of Gaza” and “Job’s Patience”. In a photo shared on the same post, Inas al-Saqa raises her hands triumphally, apparently in the encore of one of her performances.
The actor, playwright, and visual artist had apparently been displaced in the Orthodox Cultural Center with her children but felt threatened and decided to take shelter in the al-Wahidi’s home where they were killed, as reported by @eslamsq1. According to Al-Watan News, Inas al-Saqa’s daughters Rita and Farah were “seriously injured” in the alleged strike. Bassam Alsaqqa, Inas’ cousin, shared a post requesting any information about Ibrahim Alaa Sayedou’s whereabouts. The post, which included a photo of the child enjoying a sunny day at the beach, was later modified with the words: “Update: ((Martyr .. to the mercy of God))”.
Twitter/X user @AliGastineau mentioned that Inas Al-Saqa’s last social media post read: “Sometimes you look back to look at your past… and find out you came out of a massacre alive…”
@MiddleEastEye honoured Inas Al-Saqa’s memory by quoting the words of a poet on Inas Al-Saqa’s death: “Today, my friend, the curtain has fallen…and the theatre’s stage has darkened”.
Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released July 24th 2024.
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.
The incident occured during the night.
The victims were named as:
Family members (4)
Family members (6)
Summary
Sources (35) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (28) [ collapse]
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Source: @livequds -
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Source: Maryam Umm Malik -
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Source: Ata Abo Hassinen -
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Source: Ahmed Soraj -
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Source: Youssef Kassab -
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Source: Omar Wishah -
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Source: Abdul Abu Malik -
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Source: Abdul Abu Malik -
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Source: Ata Abo Hassinen -
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Source: Musa.abuazaab -
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Source: Musa.abuazaab -
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Source: Bassam.alsaqqa -
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Source: Refugeesps -
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Source: Motaz Sukkar -
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Source: Muhammad Abu Jarad -
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Source: Muhammad Abu Jarad -
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Source: Hadeel.eyadabosedo -
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Source: Tehar Eyad Abo Sido -
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Source: alwatan.bh -
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Source: @GazaMartyrs -
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Source: @GazaMartyrs -
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Source: @MiddleEastEye -
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Source: @AliGastineau -
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Source: @AliGastineau -
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Source: @AtRiskArtists -
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Source: @PENamerica -
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