Airwars assessment
Shortly before 3:50 AM on Monday, November 6, 2023, twelve identified civilians – including one woman and at least five children – were killed and dozens of others, including children, were injured after an alleged Israeli airstrike hit the Qeshta family’s home in the administrative neighbourhood of Rafah opposite Bahlol Laboratory in the southern Gaza Strip.
Safa News at 5:31 announced that seven people were killed in the attack on the Qeshta family’s home. Voice of the Nation Radio reported that the Palestinian civil defense crews were searching the rubble for missing members of the Qashta and Awida families. The following day, November 7th, Safa News announced that the number of those killed had risen to 13.
Adly Abu Taha Facebook account reported “dozens of injured” from the strike. Mohammad Kamal shared visual evidence of injured civilians – all of whom are young children – receiving treatment at the hospital by medical staff. Some injuries appeared severe.
Voice of the Nation Radio initially shared the names of the eight civilians killed in the attack.
32-year-old Ismail Jumah Awad Abu Zuraian was killed alongside his 32-year-old wife Tahrir Muhammad Awad Abu Zuraian and their three sons: three-year-old Ahmed Ismail Jumaa Abu Zuraian, five-year-old Adam Ismail Jumaa Abu Zuraian, and one-year-old Hussam Ismail Jumaa Abu Zuraian.
“I don’t know where to start and where to end…” wrote Sa`ad Alkadiin in a Facebook post grieving the loss of his friend Ismail Juma Abu Zuraian, continuing, “I swear to God that I have only seen good from you.”
He further offered condolences to his family and shared an image of Ismail where he was seen wearing blue jeans, a blue puffer waistcoat, and a white and blue square check shirt posing in front of the dock. Abu Almajed has also reposted the same image with the broken heart emoji and offered his sincere condolences to his neighbours and friends for the loss of “honourable” Ismail, his wife and children, asking, “may God have mercy on them. May God reward you greatly”.
Another photograph of Ismail Jumaa Awad Abu Zuraian was posted by Mohammad, where Ismail is seen together with his two sons smiling into the camera. They appeared to be at a beach.
Among the victims were also two men – 19-year-old Muhammad Nayef Saleh al-Arja and 36-year-old Hamed Mahmoud Muhammad al-Salq – and 14-year-old teenager Alaa Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khair.
Abu Thaer wrote a Facebook post on behalf of the al-Arja Family Youth Association expressing their sorrow over the death of Muhammad Nayef Saleh al-Arja. He offered condolence messages to the family and relatives: “We ask God Almighty to have mercy on him and to inspire his family and relatives with patience and solace”.
Similarly, Ismail Alarja wrote a Facebook post after losing his cousin and his niece’s husband Muhammad Nayef Saleh al-Arja: “ May God have mercy on him and grant him the highest level of Paradise. And may He inspire his family with patience and solace” – read the post. In addition to his post, Ismail posted a picture of Muhammad Nayef, wearing black jeans and a blue shirt.
Also posting to Facebook, Gaser M Arja expressed sadness and sorrow over the death of a young man and “son of the family” Muhammad Nayef Saleh al-Arja. Gaser M Arja shared another picture of Muhammad Nayef standing next to a friend, dressed in blue, looking straight into the camera.
The condolences were extended by Abu Haitham on his social media account after losing his cousin Hamed al-Salq. A studio portrait of Hamed al-Salq accompanied his post.
Yousef Mahmoud also paid condolences to his beloved neighbour and friend Hamed al-Salq writing, “may God have mercy on him, forgive him, and grant him a place in the highest paradise”. He also wished a speedy recovery to all who were wounded in the incident.
Another picture of Hamed al-Salq wearing a yellow puffer jacket was shared on Alaa Abu Anas and Adel Zaarab’s social media accounts. In the snapshot, we can see a photograph of Hamed filled with heart symbols.
The administration of Little Geniuses Kindergarten and its teaching staff also extended their deepest condolences to the family of the child Jad Hamed al-Salq and his father Hamed Mahmoud al-Salq whose lives were lost during the bombing.
Further, Mahmoud Khalaf grieved the loss of his uncle Alaa Ahmed Abu al-Khair: “May God have mercy on you, uncle, and light up your grave and grant you a place in His spacious gardens, O Lord“. In the image he shared alongside his post, Alaa Ahmed Abu al-Khair is seen dressed in black standing in front of a brick wall and facing to his right.
On November 7th, Safa News at 1:29 AM also announced the death of 27-year-old man Suleiman Yahya Muhammad Mohsen Qishta and Bashir Youssef Suleiman Abu Sariya (Bashir Abu Seria) whose exact age is unavailable. Both bodies were recovered from under the rubble of the Qishta family’s house.
On a Facebook post, user “Qishta family inside and outside” grieved the loss of Dr Suleiman Yahya Muhammad Qishta: “We ask God Almighty to have mercy on the martyr and to grant him a spacious place in Paradise and to inspire his family with patience and solace. To God we belong and to Him we shall return.”
The tribute was also paid to Suleiman Yahya Qishta by his cousin Mohammed Nedal Qeshta: “May God have mercy on him and make his abode in heaven, O Lord”.
Similarly, Ibrahim Qishata shared the news of the death of his cousin Suleiman Yahya Qishta (Abu Yahya) on his social media account “O God, let him dwell in a blessed home, for You are the best of those who give a home. O God, let him dwell in the homes of the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and what excellent companions they are. O God, make his grave a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and do not make it a pit from the pits of Hell. O God, expand his grave as far as his sight can reach, and furnish his grave with the bedding of Paradise. We belong to God and to Him we shall return.” The post was accompanied by a picture of Suleiman smiling at the camera.
On the 7th of November, Yousef Abu Seriea, the son of Bashir Yousef Abu Seria (Abu Yousef), shared the news of his father’s death whom he referred to as “my beloved and everything to me”. Yousef recounted the feeling of hearing about his father’s death: “My dear father, the martyr of my heart and soul, the martyr of all my days, the one with whom I was martyred. All my dreams and hopes have become distant and I don’t care.”
Yousef wrote a heartfelt post unwilling to accept his loss: “I still cannot believe that you left me and went. You strengthened me every day when you woke up and reassured me about you, my brothers and my mother. You consulted me about anything you wanted to do, my beloved. Everyone who was around you told me that you recited the Shahada on the sidewalk more than once before the ambulance took you. May Allah give us patience and patience to my brother, Ezz, who was martyred while you were in his arms. Everyone I send you so many sweet words, my love, my lion, and the lion of a whole family. Don’t worry, my love. My mother and brothers will always be in his eyes until we meet in heaven, my father.”
Muscat Rafah Secondary School B for Boys paid its deepest condolences to all the Abu Seria family. They offered their sympathy to the honourable teacher Mr. Abdullah Abu Seria who has lost his brother Bashir Abu Seria “Abu Youssef” and the husband of the teacher and the director of Al-Quds Secondary School for Girls, Manal Sobhi Aql: “We ask God Almighty to have mercy on him, to grant him a place in his spacious gardens, and to inspire his family and relatives with patience and solace.”
Zuhair Awidah on November 7th posted to Facebook announcing the loss of his 39-year-old uncle Muhammad Jaber Diab Awida (Abu Jaber) and his 14-year-old child Jaber Mohammed Jaber Awida.
“Sleep in peace, Abu Jaber, who ascended to the highest heavens in the brutal bombing of his home on Monday 6/11/2023”, wrote Zuhair Awidah on her social media account. Alongside the post Zuhair shared a photograph of Muhammad Jaber Diab Awida wearing black clothing and standing next to his son; both are wearing sunglasses and posing in front of the camera.
Journalist Saif Al-Din Al-Sarfandion on their Facebook account has also grieved the loss of his uncle Muhammad Jaber Awida and his son Jaber Muhammad Awida: “May God have mercy on them and grant them a place in His spacious gardens”.
Alaa dedicated a post to her brother, friend, and beloved Muhammad Awida Abu Jaber and his son Jaber Muhammad Awida. She shared a portrait picture of Muhammad Awida Abu Jaber where he is seen smiling into the camera.
Ayman Uwedah has also mourned the loss of his cousin Muhammad Jaber Awida and his son Jaber Muhammad Awida.
Many more condolence messages were sent by many family members and friends of the Qeshta family.
A Facebook post by Abduallah Y. Nijim described the bombing as a volcano that descended on the area. In a statement, he thanked God for protecting him and his family and expressed condolences to those who lost friends and family members in the incident, namely Dr Hamed al-Salq, “May God have mercy on him”. He also paid condolences to a family that was killed passing by on the road during the bombing – a father, a mother, and all their children, as well as Alaa Abu al-Khair and a young man from the al-Arja family – who were being searched for at the time of writing. Abduallah further grieved the loss of his good friend and neighbour Muhammad Awida and his son who was “close to his heart” Jaber Awida, as well as his “good and beautiful friend” Suleiman Qishta. He expressed sadness at witnessing such terrible things: “By God, I do not cry over stones or houses, for compensation is with God. But I cry over pure souls and young men whom I loved sincerely… Praise be to God in every case.”
Al Jazeera shared a 44-second video that documented the destruction and search operations after the bombing. Masdr and Shadi Press have also shared images of the destruction of the surrounding area caused by the bombing of the Qishta family home.
Sawa News Agency identified the strike location as “in the administrative neighbourhood area opposite Bahlol Laboratory”, while other sources mentioned that the home of the Qishta family was near Al-Jawzat Square and in the Al-Janina neighbourhood.
Where possible, the names of the victims 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 15, 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 Israeli forces.
The incident occured at approximately 3:30 am local time.
The victims were named as:
Family members (5)
Family members (2)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (55) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (38) [ collapse]
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Mohammad Kamal -
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Source: Masdr News -
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Source: Masdr News -
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Source: Masdr News -
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Source: Shadi Press News -
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Source: Shadi Press News -
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Source: Shadi Press News -
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Source: Mohamamd Altarabin -
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Source: ِAmal Hadad -
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Source: Abu Thaer -
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Source: Gaser M Arja -
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Source: Ismail Alarja -
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Source: Mahmoud Khalaf -
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Source: Abu Haitham -
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Source: Yousef Mahmoud -
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Source: Alaa Abu Anas -
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Source: Official journalist Adel Zaarab -
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Source: Mohammed Al-Tarabani Al-Waqili -
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Source: Mohammad -
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Source: Sa`ad Alkadi -
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Source: Abu Almajed -
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Source: Alaa -
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Source: Zuhair Awidah -
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Source: Mohammed Nedal Qeshta -
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Source: Ibrahim Qishata -
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Source: Qishta family inside and outside -
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