Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0827

Incident date

November 2, 2023

Location

مدرسة أبو عاصي تابعة لوكالة أونروا في مخيم الشاطئ, UNRWA school in Al-Shati camp, Gaza strip, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

Early in the morning of November 2nd 2023, five civilians, including two children, one of them 5-year-old Hala Khalil Fayez Barakat and her mother Rudiynah, were killed and dozens of others were injured while sheltering at the Abu Assi school which is affiliated with the United Nation Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, after reports of Israeli shelling.

Wafa News reported that the strikes of the Abu Assi school resulted in the “death of five citizens and the wounding of others with various injuries”. A post from Megaphone media platform put the number of injuries at “dozens”.

Family members of Hala and Rudiynah posted about the incident on Facebook.

Mona Barakat, who identified Rudiynah as her daughter-in-law, said: “My last talk to you was a few days before the war. We will never speak again. It is as if goodbye were the end…Rest my dear, from the sound of the bombardment. Rest from your pain for your country. Rest, my child, Hala.” She also claimed that “there is no safety anywhere, not even in schools.” Mona shared a video compilation of pictures of her granddaughter from before the incident.

Abu Tamer Barakat, Hala’s grandfather also shared the same video and expressed his grief at the death of his granddaughter and daughter in law.

One woman told CNN: “The school was shelled and we started screaming…It was an absolute horror.”

A video posted by Mohammed Lubbad shows a grieving father presenting his dead baby to the world. The words which accompanied the post called the incident “a cruel night and a bloody morning for Gaza.”

Another video posted by Halem Mohamed showed another grieving father, likely the father of Hala, crouched over the body of his child wrapped in a blanket. The caption reported that both his wife and daughter were killed in the alleged strike on the UNRWA school.

Multiple sources posted a video from journalist Ahmed Hijaza on social media showing projectiles falling from the sky into a schoolyard while emitting a white smoke. Multiple sources described the attack as having been carried out with white phosphorous.

Kamal Alamoudi shared an Al Jazeera – Egypt video on Facebook that showed women and children running out of a school courtyard, the air full of white smoke. Alamoudi’s post was captioned “Abu Assi School, where I studied for 6 years in primary school.”

The Abu Assi school which was struck in this incident was a shelter for a number of displaced people at the time. Some sources reported that the strike hit the “vicinity” of the Abu Assi school.

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

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Hala Khalil Fayez Barakat حلا خليل فايز بركات
5 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 440891083
Rudiynah ردينة
Adult female killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, School, UN facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (14) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, School, UN facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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 (26) [ collapse]