At least eight civilians from the Nassar family – including three women and three children – were reportedly killed and between five and ten others injured – including four children, at least two of them also from the Nassar family – in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Nassar and Abu Gaza family homes in Deir al-Balah around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, 9th November 2023.

Whilst the Gaza-based Palestinian Press Agency (SAFA) initially reported “at least one death” as a result of the strike, multiple friends and family members such as Saeed Shalalda Abu Ibrahim, writing on Facebook, proceeded to name six members of the Nassar family to have been killed. One source, the lawyer Ala’a Hussain, also posting on Facebook, reported two further deaths, although one has been discounted for reasons explained below.

26-year-old Musab Akram Nassar was killed alongside his wife, 26-year-old Aya Hamdallah Nassouna Nassar. Musab Akram Nasser’s brother, 24-year-old Mohammad Akram Nassar, was also killed in the strike, alongside their three sisters, 27-year-old Afnan Akram Nassar, 20-year-old Bissan Akram Nassar, and 11-year-old Noor Akram Nassar.

In addition to those named above, Ala’a al-Hussein, cousin to the five siblings identified to have been killed in the strike, reported that the mother of Musab Akram Nassar and his siblings and the mother of Aya Hamdallah Nassouna Nassar were also killed in the strike. However, Aya Hamdallah Nassouna Nassar’s mother wrote of her daughter’s death on Facebook after the strike, meaning she could not have been killed in the incident. The source also seems to correct the earlier statement in the post by saying that Musab and his siblings’ mother, Hanan Saleh was injured. In addition, Duaa Akram Hammad offered condolences to her over her children’s deaths in a Facebook post and B’Tselem interviewed here after the attack. Therefore, both women have not been included in the death toll range.

B’Tselem spoke with 47-year-old Hanan Saleh, the mother of Musab, Mohammad, Bissan, Afnan and Noor, who told them that prior to the war, she lived near Abu Mazen Square in Gaza City but following orders by the Israeli military on October 13th to evacuate and go south, they went to Deir al-Balah and rented an apartment in a three-story building. Hanan described the attack on November 9th as “I was on the balcony with my two grandchildren, Julia and Majd. The rest of the family were inside, getting ready for lunch. Suddenly, I felt my body flying through the air, and then I fell on the floor. Julia and Majd crashed to the floor, too, and there was dust and debris everywhere. There was a lot of smoke too, and I could smell fire. My shoulder felt dislocated, and I couldn’t move or get up on my feet. Then I started feeling like the building was collapsing underneath me, until the third floor became the first floor.”

In addition to Musab, his wife Aya, and his siblings Mohammad, Afnan, Bissan and Noor, Afnan’s five-year-old son Majd and one and a half-year-old daughter Ranin were all killed. Hanan had been hit by fragments in her left hand, had wounds on her legs, and dislocated her shoulder. She described their multiple displacements after the strike, first being moved to Al-Aqsa Hospital, then to a school turned field hospital in the a-Zawaydah neighborhood, and then an IDP camp in Rafah, where they were currently living in terrible conditions. In expressing the pain that her granddaughter feels at her immense loss, she told B’Tselem that “Julia keeps asking about her parents, and she still expects them to return. I miss them a lot, too. We were very close and spent a lot of time together. They’ll never come back, and I cry over them a lot and over my other children and grandchildren.”

According to Hanan, “The building where we were renting the apartment collapsed in the bombing, and other displaced people who were renting there were killed, too. Neighbors in nearby buildings were also killed.” Therefore, at least a number of civilians were killed in this building and adjacent ones, which makes the death toll reach at least 14.

Airwars has not been able to match the names of any of those reported to have been killed in the incident with the Gazan Ministry of Health list of fatalities in the conflict, checked through list 11.

In addition to those killed, between five and ten people, including four young children, have been identified through video footage and social media sources to have been injured in the strike. No source provided an exact number of people injured in the incident, with many, such as the Palestinian Press Agency (SAFA), reporting “a number of injuries”.

Two children, the young girl Julia Nassar aged 3,5 years, the daughter of Musab Akram Nassar and Aya Hamdallah Nassouna Nassar, and the two-year-old boy Amir Nassar were named to be among those injured in the strike. A video posted by Ala’a al-Hussein showed the orphaned Julia Nassar to be distressed following the incident, but she appeared to have suffered only mild injuries. Meanwhile, a video posted on the Sahat Facebook page showed Amir Nassar in hospital with a severe wound to his left thigh.

A further video, circulated by several Facebook accounts including the Sanad News Agency, showed the aftermath of the strike. The video depicted at least two additional mildly injured children (one of them a baby), and one distressed mildly injured adult man with a head wound. Five more people were shown in the video being carried by members of the public away from the site of the strike. It is not clear from the footage whether these individuals were severely wounded or dead, and given this uncertainty the number of people injured in this incident has been recorded as ranging between five and ten.

The video footage circulated by the Sanad News Agency Facebook page and others also revealed the destructive impact of the alleged Israeli airstrike, with at least one building destroyed and surrounding buildings severely damaged. In addition to crowds of people evacuating the dead and wounded, the video also showed at least two men searching for survivors amongst the rubble of the collapsed building.

Multiple sources, such as Kamal Bimbashi and Duaa Akram Hammad, noted that the father of the five Nassar siblings killed in the strike, Akram Nassar, was killed in the 17th April 2004 assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi by the Israeli military. Musab Akram Nassar was six years old when this occurred. Akram Nassar had reportedly been a bodyguard to al-Rantisi, travelling with him in his car at the time of his assassination. However, there is no indication from the available sources that any of those identified to have been killed in this incident were involved in militant activities.

Many friends and family members posted obituaries and tributes to those killed in the strike on Facebook, expressing their grief.

Duaa Akram Hammad wrote, “With hearts that believe in God’s will and destiny… I offer condolences to my cousin on the martyrdom of her children, Musab, his wife, Afnan, Bisan, and their sister Noor.”

Saeed Shalalda Abu Ibrahim wrote, “With hearts satisfied with God’s will and destiny, we entrust the souls of the children of the martyr Akram Nassar, Mohammad, Musab, his wife [Aya Hamdallah Nassouna Nassar], Bisan, Afnan, and Noor. The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, and we are truly saddened by their departure, and we say only what pleases our Lord. To God we belong and to Him we shall return. O God, accept them as martyrs and gather us with them in the highest paradise with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and excellent are those companions.”

Osama Wishah announced the death of “our good friend, brother and neighbour, Mohammad Akram Nassar, and his brother Musab Akram Nassar.” Pictures which accompanied this post showed both men, and indicated that Mohammad Akram Nassar was of a similar age to his brother Musab Akram Nassar.

Mourning Musab Akram Nassar, Kamal Bimbashi wrote, “Musab Akram Nassar… He is married and the father of a daughter named Julia. He grew up as an orphan after the [Israeli military] killed his father when he was six years old. He was killed with his wife and siblings, and his grandfather was martyred a few days ago. Today, Julia will live as an orphan, like her father. Musab is not a number.”

Also paying tribute to Musab Akram Nassar, Moaz al-Din Muqdad wrote, “May the memory of Musab Akram Nassar be blessed, a martyr.”

Meanwhile, Mohammad Abu Sedo paid an emotional tribute to his close friend Mohammad Akram Nassar, asking, “May God unite us with you, my dearest friend, and illuminate your grave, for you were the best brother, friend and companion. I consider you a martyr with God Almighty. God prefers you over everyone, so He took your soul with Him and chose you to be with the martyrs in the righteous in Paradise. This is what gives us most patience, which is that you are a martyr. Today, I announce to you the martyrdom of my friend, my beloved and my brother, Mohammad Akram Nassar, after the house in which he lived was targeted. I say only what pleases God, and to God we belong and to him we shall return. My Lord, I ask you to grant me and his family patience and strength to bear the loss of the dearest person to my heart. Peace be upon you, my friend. You left us too early, but we will only say, thank God for everything.” He accompanied the tribute with several happy photos from their friendship, including them embracing.

Wasfiya al-Abd Hassouna, the mother of Aya Hamdallah Hassouna Nassar, mourned the death of her daughter and Musab Akram Nassar, announcing their deaths and asking, “May God have mercy on them and treat them well and make their final resting place in Paradise. Their meeting place in Paradise is precious. You took my soul. By God, your prayers for the martyrs.”

All sources which identified a belligerent attributed the strike to Israeli forces.