Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0823a

Incident date

November 2, 2023

Location

مدارس أبو حميصة مخيم البريج, Abu Hamisa School, Al Bureij Camp, Deir Al Balah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.439167, 34.401111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On November 2nd 2023, two children were killed in an alleged airstrike on the UNRWA-affiliated Abu Hamisa School in Al Bureij Camp, North Gaza.

The deceased were identified as 16-year-old Fathi Muhammad Omar al-Jarisi and Yaffa Basel al-Shimaly.

Fathi’s death was announced by Khamis Hussein, an employee of the Palestine Benevolent Obliterated Association, on Facebook. Hussein wrote that the “beloved young man” was “killed by shrapnel from missiles in the bombing of the camp.” According to Hussein, Fathi “bled while he was in the shelter center at Abu Hamisa school.”

Many shared their prayers and condolences for Fathi’s death on social media, including Basel Abu Shouka of the Abu Shouka Youth Association, who acknowledged the Al-Jarisi family and the loss of their “dear son.” Abu Shouka shared a selfie of Fathi standing next to the sea.

Fathi’s brother, Fawzi and sister, Elham, shared prayers for their brother on Facebook. Another family member, Majeed Al-Jarisi, based in Iraq, wrote that he mourned for Fathi as they were “bound by blood and lineage.”

Yaffa was remembered in a Facebook post by Dahman Eyad, a journalist, who posted several photos of the young boy in a shroud, laid on a stretcher. “A child was killed on the door of (Abu Hamisa) UNRWA school,” he wrote.

The strike status of this incident is currently a single source claim because only one source has attributed the incident to a missile strike on the school, and the only attribution to a belligerent is through the Ministry of Health fatalities list, who attribute cause of deaths to the Israeli military.

Fathi was matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released July 24th 2024.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Yaffa Basel al-Shimaly يافا باسل الشمالي
Child male killed
Fathi Muhammad Omar al-Jarisi فتحي محمد عمر الجريسي
16 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 424463735

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Abu Hamisa School (مدارس أبو حميصة) in  the Al Bureij Camp (مخيم البريج), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.439167, 34.401111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, UN facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Monther m Omar
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Jraisi Akram
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Basel Abu shouka
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Fawzi Al-Jarisi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Majeed Al-Jarisi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Elham Al Jeraisy
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dahman.eyad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dahman.eyad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dahman.eyad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Dahman.eyad

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, UN facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 children)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (10) [ collapse]