On November 5, 2023, two brothers, 20-year-old Osama Alaa Hothot and 19-year-old Islam Alaa Hothot, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike as they were on their way to secure flour and food for their family.

According to the page Gaza Martyrs, Osama and Islam’s family had sought refuge in Sabra in Gaza City to find safety from bombardment. They were on their way back to their home in the north – or already in the north – when they were killed. It is unclear where the brothers were exactly located at the time of the strike.

The brothers studied at Al-Azhar University, Islam was majoring in media and Osama was a law student. According to the university’s Fatah Youth Movement Facebook page, they were also members of the youth movement. While both brothers appear to be politically active, members of the political party Fatah are not considered militants by Airwars in this context, despite historic militant activity, given that there has been no large-scale organised Fatah military presence in Gaza since 2007, and given the fact that the group is not believed to have access to advanced weaponry.

A cousin of Islam and Osama named Mohammed Abu Qadous wished condolences to his aunt, the mother of the brothers, on the loss of her sons, along with images of both young men smiling at the camera.

Mohammed Abu Ahmed, who also studied law at Al-Azhar University, memorialized his “colleague, friend, and beloved” Osama and included an image of himself with Osama smiling together in a classroom. @GazaMartyrs quoted another friend of Osama named Mohammed Kamal who described his childhood friend as someone “known for his genuine support and unwavering willingness to aid others, particularly during challenging moments,” adding that he aspired to continue his education in Belgium.

Another @GazaMartyrs post described Islam as “the owner of the morning laughter that brightens our day every day at the university. Beloved by all for his sweet nature everywhere. Islam was studying media, and he loved his mother dearly. He wished to make her happy by graduating from university.” A day before he was killed, Islam reportedly said to his friends: “You know my situation; I bid farewell to the world.”

Both 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 seven 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 third ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on April 1st, 2024.

Where sources identified a belligerent, all pointed to the Israeli military.