Conflict

Israel and Gaza

Incident Code

ISPT0797d

Location

Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood, Gaza City, Gaza, Palestinian territories

Geolocation

31.485479, 34.444885
Accuracy: Neighbourhood/area

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: February 3, 2025

On Tuesday, October 31st, 2023, an Israeli airstrike allegedly hit the Abu Daf family house in the al-Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City, killing six of its members, including two children.

Magdy Hussein Muhammad Abu Daf, 34, was killed along with his sons, 14-year-old Magdy Hussein Muhammad Abu Daf and Haroun Magdy Hussein Abu Daf, who was only nine.

Three of Magdy Hussein’s cousins were also killed in the alleged strike. They were identified as 33-year-old Bayan Tayseer Muhammad Abu Daf, 29-year-old Ezz El-Din Musa Deeb Abu Daf, and Mahmoud Harbi Hassan, whose age Airwars was not able to verify.

Several sources, including Moaab, Jordan TV, and the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Voice radio station reported the incident, mentioning that a “citizen” and his son had been killed. Facebook user Atef Alnajjar posted that there were also reports of a “number” of injuries. However, the extent of the damage caused by the alleged attack became known only through social media posts made by the victims’ relatives, who shared lists of their lost loved ones.

“Today I lost a piece of my heart”, wrote Alaa Abu Daf in a Facebook post. “My brother Magdy, his children, my cousin, and my aunt’s children.” Ashraf Abuzour announced the “martyrdom” of his maternal uncles, while Mohammad Taha sent “sincere condolences” to “all our loved ones in the Abu Daf family.”

Hamed Jawad Mahdi honoured his cousins by posting recent pictures of them, which were also shared by other relatives on their social media accounts. In one, Ahmed Magdy smiles at the camera, standing proudly in front of a white and blue wall, wearing a green long-sleeved shirt and jeans. On the opposite side, his younger brother Haroun Magdy mirrors the scene, looking at the camera with a gentle expression. The post also included selfies of their father Magdy Hussein, who is wearing a dark blue shirt, and his cousin Bayan Tayseer, wearing the Spanish Football National Team’s shirt, a calm look on his face.

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

Of the six victims, five have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health lists of fatalities in Gaza.

Victims

Family members (6)

Magdy Hussein Muhammad Abu Daf
34 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802300061
Ahmed Magdy Hussein Abu Daf
14 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 426430559
Haroun Magdy Hussein Abu Daf
9 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 433505344
Ezz El-Din Musa Deeb Abu Daf
29 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 804751774
Bayan Tayseer Muhammad Abu Daf
33 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802747568
Mahmoud Harbi Hassan
male killed

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
6
2–3 Children, 3–4 Men
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al-Zeitoun (الزيتون) to the south of Gaza City (مدينة غزة), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.485479, 34.444885. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Military Statements

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

Media From Sources (15)