Between four and seven civilians, including one child, were reportedly killed and at least five civilians, including at least two children, were injured as a result of alleged Israeli artillery shelling of the Zaid bin Haritha School hosting dozens of displaced people and surrounding streets, located in Beit Lahia, North Gaza, on the evening of Tuesday, 22nd October 2024.

Two individuals were identified by relatives and friends on social media to be among those killed, and a further two were identified to be among the injured. The child Mohammed Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya, a resident of the Tel al-Zaatar area, was killed, whilst his father Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya and brother Zohaer Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya were injured.

The young man Ayman Neaman Abed al-Aal Mohammed Mahram, known as Abu Abdullah, was also killed.

Relatives and friends mourned those killed on social media and sent their wishes to those injured.

Lhali Ahlali mourned the child Mohammed Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya on Facebook, writing, “May God have mercy on your soul… and grant you a place in his spacious gardens.” She accompanied the post with a photograph of the brown-haired boy wearing a smart green suit.

Salah Abdalati, also writing on Facebook, offered “sincere condolences to the Abu Diya family and to our dear cousin Hossam [Zohaer] Abu Diya on the martyrdom of his son, the child Muhammed Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya.” He continued, “May God have mercy on him and grant him a place in His spacious gardens and inspire us and his family with patience and solace.”

Meanwhile, Umm Mahmoud Ahmed described Mohammed Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya as “the beloved of my heart, my dear nephew”, also praying for a “speedy recovery” for Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya and Zohaer Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya.

Qasdi Sharief further described Mohammed Hossam Zohaer Abu Diya as “My nephew and lifelong friend”, asking God to have mercy on his “pure soul”.

Yousef Abo Daia shared an image of the late Mohammed, a young teenager, clad in a light-blue shirt, standing in front of a car.

Fathei Abd All, also writing on Facebook, mourned the death of Ayman Nomam Abd al-Aal, writing, “A thousand mercies and light for your pure soul. May God give us patience in your separation, my dear. You took your soul with you, Abu Abdullah.”

Sajeda Issa Talafha also mourned Ayman Nomam Abdel al-Aal, writing that “Your departure is difficult, cousin.” Yasser Ramzi shared the picture of the late Ayman in a striped multicoloured shirt.

Meanwhile, Abu Mustafa Abd al-Aal also paid tribute to Ayman Nomam Abdel al-Aal on behalf of himself and his family, saying “With tearful eyes and humble hearts, by God’s will and destiny, we received the news, the passing of the beloved son of our family… We ask God for mercy and forgiveness for him, who passed away on Tuesday 10/22. We ask God for the highest paradise for him, O God, Amen, O God, Amen. The thoughts are with the honourable people of Burayr, and the honourable Abd al-Aal family.”

Whilst some sources, including al-Arabiya Palestine, reported that four people had been killed in the incident, the majority of sources, including the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), reported that seven had been killed in the bombardment. The identities of these further casualties was not made available.

Multiple sources, including those identified above, also reported that a number of people had been wounded in the incident, but no source provided a specific number of injured. The videos and images showing the rescue efforts helped Airwars to establish that the minimum number of injuries was five.

News sources, including the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), reported that the Zaid bin Haritha school was sheltering displaced people at the time of the shelling.

Falastin Post, writing on Facebook and citing eyewitnesses, reported that the bodies of dead and wounded people were lying on the al-Shimaa Street and Abbas Kilani roundabout following the shelling of Zaid bin Haritha School, also noting appeals for ambulances to reach the scene.

A video from the scene of the incident, shared on Facebook by al-Hadath Palestine among others, showed medical teams discovering several bodies in the darkness, and at least one injured man being helped into an ambulance.

A video report filmed by Al-Jazeera and shared by multiple social media users showed the ambulance arriving at the scene, the search for survivors amidst the destruction, a dead or unconscious man being carried into an ambulance by medics, and two injured children, one of them an infant, brought to a hospital. The infant child had a facial injury with his nose being covered with blood. The video also showed a limping man with a knee injury accompanied by a volunteer into a hospital and the bodies of two heavily injured men lying on the floor and being treated by the medical staff.

Meanwhile, further photos from the scene posted on Facebook by Said Kilani depicted a wounded man being helped into an ambulance and a dead man being carried into an ambulance by medics.

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.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the shelling to Israeli forces.