Sixteen members of two generations of the Abd al-Nabi family, including a sixteen-year-old girl and nine adult women – among them a dentist, a doctor, and an 18-year-old medical student – were reportedly killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on their family home in Block 4 of the al-Bureij Refugee Camp, Deir al-Balah, at dawn on Friday 3rd November 2023.

The initial death toll from the strike was reported by @adham922, writing on Twitter/X, to be five. However, those reported to have been killed quickly rose, and by 6th November friends and relatives, such as Waleed Hamman, had announced on Facebook that 16 family members had been killed.

60-year-old Anees Fathi Abd al-Nabi (Abu Ashraf) was killed alongside his 56-year-old wife Ibtisam Mohammed al-Habil (al-Nabi) and six of their children. Their two sons killed were 28-year-old engineer Ashraf Anees Abd al-Nabi and 24-year-old Akram Anees Abd al-Nabi. They also lost four daughters in the strike, including the 25-year-old dentist Tasneem Anees Abd al-Nabi, the 20-year-old doctor Islam Anees Abd al-Nabi, the 18-year-old medical student Raghad Anees Abd al-Nabi, and the 22-year-old lawyer Ansam Anees Abd al-Nabi.

Meanwhile, the strike also killed Anees’ brother 59-year-old Mohammed Fathi Abd al-Nabi (Abu Ayman), his 56-year-old wife Sanaa Abu Hasnin (al-Nabi), and four of their children. This included their 30-year-old son Ahmed Mohammed Abd al-Nabi and three of their daughters, 29-year-old Nour Mohammed Abd al-Nabi, 19-year-old Nouriz Mohammed Abd al-Nabi, and 16-year-old Maha Mohammed Abd al-Nabi.

Also killed in the strike were the 27-year-old lawyer and sister of Anees and Mohammed, Doaa Fathi Abd al-Nabi and 31-year-old Fathi Youssef Abd al-Nabi.

There were no reports of injuries found among local sources.

Relatives and friends shared numerous tributes on Facebook mourning those killed.

Balsam Hamalawi described dentist Tasneem Anees Abd al-Nabi, who had attended al-Azhar University, as “A good friend, study and road companion, and a beloved heart despite the distance”. Meanwhile, Nariman Ramzi Shorrab expressed her shock at her death, writing “Oh God, oh Tasneem. I am still digesting the news… I can’t believe it. And I am waiting for someone to deny the news and say that you are still alive and well.”

According to a proud post on Ibtisam Mohammed al-Habil’s Facebook page from July 2023, her daughter Raghad Anees Abd al-Nabi had just graduated from high school with exceptionally high grades, achieving a GPA of 98.6 in the sciences, and had been accepted to study medicine. She had graduated from school among the top ten students in the al-Bureij camp. Following her death, Sama al-Qreenawi wrote, “You were the smartest and best among us in the class and at school, and you were definitely going to be at university as well. And now you are the best among us in the sight of our Lord.” Jode Nael paid further tribute, describing Raghad Anees Abd al-Nabi as “the best companion, friend, and beloved, affectionate, kind, generous, with good qualities from a good family. May God make it easy for you, my sister, and have mercy on you and accept you into the heavens. My heart cried for you before my eyes, Raghad. God willing, you and your family will live in heaven, Raghad. May God give us patience for your separation… We met for the love of medicine, but the world separated us.” Umm Khalil, who had taught Raghad Anees Abd al-Nabi, also mourned her, writing “My polite, well-mannered, delicate, intelligent student, who combined the qualities I loved so much, the student: Raghad Abdul Nabi, was martyred, leaving behind a dream she aspired to achieve, to become a successful doctor serving her country.” She also posted a photo of Raghad Anees Abd al-Nabi upon her graduation, smiling and wearing a congratulatory rosette from one of her teachers.

Eman Abu Saada, meanwhile, mourned Islam Anees Abd al-Nabi, proclaiming, “I have known you to be nothing but the best companion and sister, affectionate and compassionate, and how could it not be when you have memorized the book of God. My beloved Islam Anis Abd al-Nabi, I think you, and God is your judge, are among the righteous.”

The lawyer Bassam Mohammed Bakr Abu Tahon further mourned Doaa Fathi Abd al-Nabi and her niece Ansam Anees Abd al-Nabi, who had worked in his office, describing them as “part of my office family.”

Enas Anees Abd al-Nabi was one of several family members to pay a broader tribute to all those dead, mourning his “mother, father, brothers and sisters”. “You are the most precious thing I had, in fact, all I have,” he wrote, asking “May God have mercy on you, and comfort me with your memories and never make me forget you.”

According to Eman Eyad, writing on Facebook, the strike on the Abd al-Nabi family home occurred at dawn and involved three bombs or missiles allegedly launched from Israeli aircraft.

On the evening of 3rd November, Asil Loai al-Habil had appealed on Facebook for anybody with a bulldozer to contact the family, suggesting that people were trapped under the rubble, and offering “any amount of money” for their help. He stated that approximately 16 people had been in the home at the time of the strike, which indicates that all those present were killed. In a later post on 9th November, six days after the strike, he wrote that the bodies of all those killed were still trapped under the rubble. He also wrote of his distress, “By God, there are no words to describe the pain, oppression… and helplessness that we are in.”

All 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 is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the fourth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on April 30th, 2024, except for Ahmed Mohammed Abd al-Nabi, who was found on the second list, released January 7th, 2024.

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

The incident occured around dawn.