On Tuesday March 18, 2025 up to six civilians, including at least two children and a woman, were killed and at least 24 civilians were injured during an alleged Israeli airstrike on the residence of the al-Salhi family next to the al-Qassam Mosque in Block C of al-Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza.

Based on numerous posts by social media users, including family and friends of the deceased, as well as reports from local and international media, researchers were able to identify the names of the four members of the Al-Sahli family who were reportedly killed during the incident, identified as Imam Abdul Qader Nasser al-Salhi (Abu Nasser) (32), his wife Wafaa Hisham Salim Salama (27), their one-year-old son Nasser Abdul Qader Nasser al-Salhi, and their eight-year-old nephew Majd Bilal Hisham Salama. The highest death toll was provided by Al-Maghazi Camp news on Facebook which reported that six people, including “children”, had been killed in the attack on the home. @factjotv corroborated the death toll of six, specifying that two children were among the six killed, and added that 24 others had been wounded and arrived at al-Awda Hospital. A Facebook post from Media News also reported that injuries had been taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital as a result of the attack, therefore a civilian harm injury toll of 26 to reflect this.

A video posted by multiple local and international Al-Jazeera channels, and watermarked by Mohammed Talabash, captures the immediate aftermath of the airstrike, illustrating the scale of destruction and chaos. The footage shows a large crowd attempting to respond to the situation. A woman, apparently deceased, lies face down on the ground, while a group of men lift the body of a young child with a large blue blanket. As the recording continues, a man retrieves an infant from the ground and holds the infant in his arms. Shortly afterwards, two men are seen pulling another child out of the debris. Another widely shared photograph on social media shows a man in front of an ambulance carrying the body of an infant, completely covered in dust and wrapped in a colourful blanket. It is unclear whether he is taking the infant to an ambulance or moving it away to make space for the injured.

Many members of the Al-Salhi family, including Haitham Abu Mouaaz and Kamal Salama, turned to social media to express their grief over the deaths of their cousin, aunt, and nephews. sharing photographs to preserve memories of their loved ones. Bilal Hesham, the father of eight-year-old Majd, also shared his sorrow over his son’s death by quoting the Quran: “And never think that those who were killed in the cause of Allah are dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, and they are provided for.” He accompanied the post with a photograph of young Majd wearing a yellow shirt, standing firmly with his arms crossed and a slight smile in the living room. He added another image of Abdul wearing a thick green sweater, holding his son Nasser – who is dressed in a leopard-print hoodie and a brown jumpsuit – in his arms. Both are laughing and reaching towards the camera with their hands.

Mosab Ayman al-Salhi shared a picture of his cousin Abdul wearing a beige shirt, smiling while sitting alongside two men. Al-Baraa al-Salhi included a close-up photograph of Abdul, with a bright smile, in his Facebook post. Abdallah Zaki Abdallah posted a video on Facebook and Instagram, which was recorded after the strike, showing two women sitting on the ground in a circle of women, crying in sorrow, while holding a young boy wrapped in a white blanket who appears to be Majd. He added: “Kiss Bilal and Rital. Soon we will be together in heaven, God willing.” He shared another video of himself reciting the Quran, accompanied by an image of Majd wearing a red sweater bearing the letters “OK,” smiling and displaying a peace sign with his fingers. Abu Osama shared a Facebook post including a picture of Abdul outside the Al-Noor Center for Quranic Education receiving a certification. Hammoda Hatem al-Salhi added a picture of a proud Abdul standing in front of the mihrab at his local mosque.

A few days after the incident, Mohammad al-Salhi, Abdul Qader’s brother, took to Facebook to express his grief and, on behalf of his father and family, his gratitude to the community for their condolences and sympathy following the loss of his brother Abdul and his family: “On behalf of my father, Nasser Abdul Qader al-Salhi, and myself and the al-Salhi family, my brothers and uncles, I extend my thanks and gratitude to everyone who offered us their condolences and sympathy, whether by personally attending the funeral, calling, or through social media.” Two photographs were added to the post: one showing Abdul wearing a black jacket and grey sweater, smiling while standing outdoors among what appear to be olive trees; the other showing him sitting down, looking at his son Nasser on his lap—who is wearing a yellow shirt and laughing heartily.

The large number of condolences expressed, the frequent reference to his position as Imam, as well as reports by both local and international media outlets, indicate that Abdul was a well-known and respected figure within his community. Local news outlet Qadeyah posted a video of Abdul in a brown thawb performing the recitation of Surah al-Haqqah at a local mosque on the 27th day of Ramadan 2022, with many attendees listening. Facebook user Naji Hamdan posted a video of Abdul performing the Tarawih prayers, the day before the incident. A screenshot of this moment was repeatedly shared by social media users including Al-Nusseriat Camp Official but also family members. Al-Bureji Official Page and Abu Ahmad Frjallah shared a collage of photographs of four people who died on this day, including a picture of Abdul wearing a marine blue suit, black tie, and white shirt. Mahmoud Mohsen attached a photograph of young Majd wearing a white sweater to his Facebook post, while Umm Suleiman al-Hafi shared an image of Majd in a white and black shirt, smiling at the camera, with the silhouette of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem visible in the background. Abdul Qader was referred to by multiple sources as a “mujahid” – it is unclear if this is a reference to his struggle in a religious sense, or refers to his participation in militant actions. Therefore, Abdul Qader is considered a “contested” civilian based on the multiple references to “mujahid” but without any specific reference to a militant group, meaning that Airwars has accounted for Qader in the lower combatant range and the upper civilian casualty range.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the eighth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on March 24, 2025. Abdul’s name was also have been found by cross-checking names against lists of fatalities shared online by Genocide in Gaza, which has a list of “martyrs” of Israeli forces. The names of the casualties had also been added to the list of casualties of March 18, 2025 by Shireen Monitor, a Palestinian organisation documenting names of killed civilians.

Bara’a Khalid al-Kharabsheh and Raheel Sulaiman Ghaleb also added a video to their posts showing children lying on medical treatment beds, presumably at al-Awda Hospital. The first child, wearing a yellow sweater, is rolling on his back and crying, appearing to be injured on his left hand, which he holds with a blood-stained tissue. The second child has a head injury and lies curled up in a fetal position while two adults attempt to sit him up so a doctor can treat his wound. The third child appears slightly older, barely moving and unresponsive, covered in dust, and staring blankly, highlighting the severity of the shock he experienced. The last child appears to have suffered a head injury, judging by the bandages around his head, and is being held by a man; he also appears dazed. A photograph of the latter child was also shared in tweets and Facebook posts by @ghyth_saleh, @alagsaes, and others, who included an image of the same man and child waiting beside another young boy wearing an FC Barcelona shirt, lying on a hospital bed while receiving treatment for a leg injury. Another photograph shows a seemingly unconscious man wearing a purple sweater and matching pants lying on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance.

All available sources, including journalists Waleed Musleh and Hani al-Shaer and local media outlets such as Al-Jazeera, stated on Facebook or X/Twitter that the home in the airstrike was located in al-Nuseirat Camp near or next the Al-Qassam Mosque and belonged to the al-Salhi family. The widely shared video by Al-Jazeera shows a mosque in the background, thereby confirming the proximity to the mosque. Some Social Media Users further specified that the home of the al-Salhi family was located in Block C of the al-Nuseirat Camp.

While most sources described the incident as a bombardment, some specified that the strike was an airstrike or that it was conducted by an aircraft or warplanes.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all attributed the airstrike to the Israeli military.