Airwars assessment
At least 23 civilians were killed and “a number” injured after an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Al-Riyati family residence near the Qeshta factory in Rafah, after midnight on 7 November, 2023.
68-year-old Musa Youssef Award al-Riyati was killed with his wife, Abla Hussein Mohammed al-Riyati, and his four daughters: his eldest, 44-year-old Mai; 29-year-old Manar; 29-year-old Maryam; and 26-year-old Malak. Maryam’s husband, 36-year-old Ala’a Shehadeh Abu Luli was also killed, as were their children: 7-year-old Ali, 6-year-old Malak, and 5-year-old Jude.
Ala’a’s brother, 30-year-old Mahmoud Shahada Abu Luli was also killed.
Other members of the Al-Riyati family were also killed: 20-year-old Mohammed Nour Mohammed al-Riyati, 19-year-old Mohsen Mohammed al-Riyati, and Mira Abdullah al-Riyati. A further three children from the family were also killed: 8-year-old Salah Mohamed Mohammed al-Riyati, and Kinda and Karam Mohammed Mahmoud al-Riyati, both two-years-old.
Three siblings from the Al-Ajili family were also reported killed: 23-year-old Aya Atallah Musa al-Ajili, as well as 18-year-old Youssef Atallah Musa al-Ajili and 15-year-old Safwat Atallah Musa al-Ajili.
A further three civilians were killed: 44-year-old Adnan Hamdan Abu Arar, 26-year-old Ezz El-Din Zenon and Badr Ahmed Masoud.
X/Twitter user Snd_pal shared photographs of the wounded being transported for medical treatment. An injured man and girl are both being ferried to the hospital on stretchers.
Consolation posts and memorials to the deceased were shared on social media. A Facebook page for the Abu Luli family (“Abu Luli family ‘Barbakh’”) shared several photographs of the Abu Luli family. In one, Ala’a is seen in a leather jacket; a second photograph shows Maryam – whose face is hidden by an enlarged emoji – and the couple’s children. Jude is sitting on her mother’s lap, and her two older siblings stand next to her, each with a wide smile. Professionally taken, the photograph has a Christmas theme.
A photograph of the children from the same shoot can be seen as Maryam’s Facebook profile picture. Her banner spoke to her faith, resiliency and a determination to craft a life she wanted:
“You’re going to love again, find a job again, do what you love again, feel powerful again. You’re going to be back on track. I don’t know when, but you are going to feel like yourself again, eventually. This isn’t the end, hang in there, and trust Allah.”
26-year-old Malak was soon to be married; a Facebook page for the Kassab Family extended “deepest condolences” to Malak’s fiancé, engineer Ahmed Bashir Kassab, for her death.
Duaas Hkukani, a family friend, remembered the Al-Riyatis’ in a near-stream of consciousness-styled memorial. Beginning with a lament of the prematurity of their deaths – “You left, my dear ones you left, it’s over […] by God, it’s too early You broke my heart” – Duaas continued with specific condolences. Of Manar, Duaas remembered: “You were never a friend You were my sister [for] Ten, fifteen years.” The two were never apart: “We studied together We traveled together We went to university together.” Because of this, “All my sweet memories are with you”. Without her, Duaas was left bereft: “Who do I talk to, laugh with, and express what’s in my heart”. The void filled with confusion; grief became tainted with anger at the loss: “How could you leave and leave me”.
Of Maryam, Duaas remembered that her “best days were with you” and that “no one [would] replace you. You are my family”. Gaza, Duaas wrote, would feel empty without her: “ Okay, when I go down to Gaza, who do I go to and who do I go out with Who else could I have fun with? You were like me in everything”.
Duaas remembered Malak for her “sweet, distinctive laugh” and her warm demeanour: “How kind, understanding, and generous you were”. Considering Malak’s upcoming wedding, Duaas accepted that now her “wedding is in heaven”. She was, Duaas stressed, the “most beautiful engineer and bride”.
Duaas clarified that Musa had left Saudi Arabia to live in Gaza, and expressed her love for both Musa and his wife, Abla: they were “like [her] mother and father”. Multiple photographs of Musa show a smiling, moustachioed man in a thaw.
Duaas saw the family’s deaths as evidence of how beloved they were by God: “God chose you because He loves you”. Included was a photograph of a young woman, presumably Duaas, surrounded by the Al-Riyati family.
Mohsen Mohammed al-Riyati was remembered for his dedication to his family. Attaching a photograph of Mohsen smiling next to a car, @Gaza_Shaheed emphasised that his “only dream was to support and help his family”.
The same account also memorialised Muhammad Nour Muhammad al-Riyati, emphasising future dreams that were now impossible. Remembered as “an ambitious young man”, Muhammad was “seeking to achieve his dream of becoming a great engineer”. As with Mohsen, a photograph of a smiling Muhammad was shared with the post.
Mahmoud Sameer, a cousin of Ezz El-Din Zenon, hoped that he was now “in Paradise”, and attached a photograph of a smiling Ezz El-Din, against a backdrop of the sea.
Mohammad Abo Arar, a cousin of Adnan Hamdan Abu Arar, also shared prayers. Including a photograph of Hamdan, dressed in a navy shirt, Mohammad asked that “a thousand mercies and light descend upon [his] soul”.
Other cousins shared similar memorials. Ahmed Owaizan Abu Luli asked that “God have mercy” on his cousin Badr Ahmed Masoud, and that he be “grant[ed] a place in His spacious gardens”. In a picture shared by the source, Badr can be seen leaning against a car, wearing a shirt printed with the words “Cool” and “Awesome”.
Abu Yamna remembered his “friend and companion” Mahmoud Shahada Abu Luli, and shared a photograph of Mahmoud wearing a North Face jacket.
Nabd News shared pictures of an improvised funeral. A man, likely her father, can be seen grieving over the body of Mira Abdullah al-Riyati. With her death, X/Twitter user @AkhbarOrdon believed, she had been transported to “a heavenly paradise.” Al Jazeera Palestine shared footage of search operations.
A picture shared by the Shehab Agency showed the shell of a partially-collapsed building.
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 is matching individuals to the first list where their name 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.
The incident occured after midnight.
The victims were named as:
Family members (17)
Family members (3)
The victims were named as:
Summary
Sources (29) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (39) [ collapse]
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Source: @ShehabAgency -
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Source: Nabd News -
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Source: Nabd News -
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Source: Nabd News -
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Source: @Glo_Events -
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Source: @Snd_pal -
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Source: @Snd_pal -
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Source: @Snd_pal -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @PalN -
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Source: @Gaza_Shaheed -
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Source: @Gaza_Shaheed -
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Source: @Abo Talal -
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Source: @Abo Talal -
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Source: @Abo Talal -
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Source: Duaas hkukani -
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Source: Duaas hkukani -
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Source: Duaas hkukani -
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Source: Duaas hkukani -
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Source: Mahmoud Sameer -
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Source: Ade lzourob -
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Source: Mohammad Abo Arar -
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Source: Ahmed Owaizan Abu Luli -
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Source: Abu Yamna -
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Source: Rami Al Riyati -
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Source: Abu Luli family "Barbakh" -
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Source: Abu Luli family "Barbakh" -
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Source: Abu Luli family "Barbakh" -
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Source: Fatma Ashraf -
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Source: Issa Abu Qurtooma -
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