Shortly before 17:00 on Friday, November 3rd, 2023, six members of the Abu Omar family, including at least three women, were killed, and a number of others injured, by an alleged Israeli airstrike on their family home, located near the cultural centre in the town Bani Suhalia, east of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

Safa News was the first to report the incident at 17:05, writing about five civilians killed as a result of the attack. Though sources individually reported five deaths resulting from the strike, six names have been released in conjunction with the bombardment.

49-year-old woman Ismat Ahmed Hussein Abu Omar “Umm Muhammad” was killed alongside her children: a 19-year-old son, Abdallah Hamdan Suleiman Abu Omar, and daughters Manal Hamdan Suleiman Abu Omar and 32-year-old Amani Hamdan Suleiman Abu Saada (Abu Omar).  Amani’s husband, 36-year-old Dr. Ahmed Majed Abd Rabbo Abu Saada, was also killed, as was 65-year-old Rasmiya Salem Khalil Qudaih.

In a Facebook post, user “Al-Raqab family gathering” (تجمع عائلـة الرقب)”, seemingly a relative of the deceased offered their condolences asking “God Almighty to have mercy on them and to grant them a place in His spacious gardens”. Another user, Amal Hadad, prayed that “God have mercy on them” and shared two photographs of Dr. Ahmed Abu Saada; one, an informal shot where Ahmed sports sunglasses and a blue shirt, and another of him smiling and suited at what appears to be a conference.

Facebook user “Qadih family in the homeland and abroad” (عائلة قديح في الوطن والشتات) mourned the loss of Rasmiya, clarifying that she was married to Mr. Nazim Qudaih Abu Suleiman, and writing that with her loss, there is “no power or strength except with God”.

According to Wafa News, the strike was conducted by Israeli forces, referred to as “the occupation”. Though sources mentioned “injuries”, none quantified how many had been wounded.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released six lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars matches individuals to the first list where their names appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the second ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on January 7th, 2024.

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