Airwars assessment
On Monday, July 15th 2024, at least four civilians were reportedly killed and three others were wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp in Deir al-Balah. The strike reportedly hit the home of the al-Manama family, killing at least four family members.
The reported number of casualties varied across sources. While Twitter/X user @uzisall reported that four people were killed, the majority of sources, including Twitter/X users @refugeesps and @Ghada_pls, indicated that five people, including three children, were killed. All sources confirm that the victims were members of the al-Manama family: Omar al-Manama and his three sons, Jaafar Omar al-Manama, Abdul Hakim Omar al-Manama, and Ali Omar al-Manama.
The name of the reported fifth person was not found among local sources.
Several sources mentioned injuries, though the exact number remains unclear. While many sources reference multiple injuries without providing specifics, Shehab Agency reported that three people were injured; videos shared in the aftermath show three wounded children.
Family members and friends mourned the loss on social media, sharing pictures and tributes to the deceased. Louy Alhersh mourned, “the martyrdom of my dear cousin Omar Abdul Hakim Al-Manama and his three sons.” Louy asked that “God comfort [the] heart” of his surviving aunt, Omar’s mother. Another relative,” Hakem Naser also lamented “the martyrdom of my sister’s husband and his children” and offered a prayer: “O God, reward us for our affiliation and replace it with something better.”
Twitter/X user @uzisall alleged that Omar al-Manama was the son of a Hamas commander, the “son of a leader.” The user claimed this was the reason for his death, as “the families of leaders are the ones who are most targeted.”
Zakaria Abu Mashaikh posted an image of Omar and his sons standing together in a living room. With their deaths, Zakaria wrote, they were “in the hospitality of the Most Gracious.”
Other social media posts, including those by Adham.adawiduing and Louy Alhersh, featured a picture of the three young boys sitting together in an armchair. The Free November Badisians/The Badisian Revolution posted a picture that showed multiple bodies wrapped in shrouds. The picture was posted under the heading, “The bodies of the martyrs of the Al-Manama family, who were killed when the [Israelis] bombed their home in Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip” and includes a timestamp showing 12:32 am. A video shared post-strike showed three blood and dust-covered young girls, receiving medical attention as they sit on the floor of a hospital.
A highly graphic video shared by Anadolu Agency showed the destruction wrought by the strike, and included a moment of a man holding up a shredded body part.
Sources differed on the type of strike. While @OsamaDmour5 and Rafah Now reported about an airstrike hitting the house, Refugee SPS stated that the killing happened as a result of “the effects of the Israeli shelling.”
Videos shared by Facebook user Grad Khalil and Twitter/X user @Ghada_pls showed extensive infrastructure damage caused by the strike; fire can be seen in the destroyed home.
Where sources identified a belligerent, the attack was attributed to the Israeli Military.
The incident occured around dawn.
The victims were named as:
Family members (4)
Summary
Sources (26) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (20) [ collapse]
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Source: @OsamaDmour5 -
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Source: Zakaria Abu Mashaikh -
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Source: Adham.adawi.35 -
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Source: Hakem Naser -
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Source: Louy ALhersh -
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Source: The Free November Badisians/The Badisian Revolution -
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Source: AlMaghazi2 -
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