Conflict

Israel and Gaza

Incident Code

ISPT230325g

Location

عبسان الكبيرة, Abasan al-Kabira, Khan Younis, Palestinian territories

Geolocation

31.323417, 34.347364
Accuracy: Town

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: August 22, 2025

On the morning of March 23rd, 2025, at least three men were reportedly killed and others injured in an alleged Israeli bombing that hit a vehicle belonging to the Abasan al-Kabira Municipality, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Local reports stated that the vehicle, described by Bani Suhaila Municipality as a sewage truck belonging to the Eastern Province Water Council, was struck while workers were carrying out a humanitarian mission in the area.

Among those killed was 43-year-old Rami Abu Ta’ima, described as an employee of the Abasan al-Kabira Municipality. Numerous posts from community members, including the municipality’s official page, mourned his passing and referred to him as a son of the town, calling for prayers for his soul. A post from social media users, including a post by Nafisa Hassan Al-Absi, included a photograph of Rami in a vehicle, possibly the sewage vehicle he was killed in.

Also killed was Ahmed Abu Subha, also referred to as 50-year-old Ahmed Barhim Abu Subha (Abu al-Amir) in local tributes. Mohamed Moataz Musbah, a relative, expressed deep grief, stating, “We bear witness to God that you fulfilled the trust and served the nation… the heart is saddened and the eye sheds tears.” Sources described him as a municipality worker who was killed during his duties.

The third fatality was 45-year-old Baha (Shhdah Salem) Abu Mughnim, a worker with the Bani Suhaila Municipality. He received wide tributes from municipal accounts and local pages. A statement by the Bani Suhaila Municipality confirmed his death, stating he was killed “along with his colleagues as a result of targeting a sewage truck… during a humanitarian mission in the town of Abasan al-Kabira.” A post by Abu Suhaib described him as a dedicated public servant “always present in the field, in every street and every neighbourhood.”

The names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released a number of 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 ninth “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on June 23, 2025.  The names within parentheses were found from the MoH list rather than local sources.

Posts on social media circulated widely with images of the deceased, accompanied by tributes and expressions of mourning.

Sources, including hassaneslayeh and ACKhaled1966, reported that the bodies of the men arrived at Gaza European Hospital following the bombing. Visual documentation showed the municipal vehicle severely damaged, alongside funeral announcements and personal homages to the victims.

There were some discrepancies among reports regarding which municipality the vehicle belonged to—some identified it as part of Abasan al-Kabira’s fleet, while others attributed it to Bani Suhaila. Nevertheless, all three men were described as municipal employees engaged in civil service work at the time of the strike.

One post by Alyawmnews claimed four people were killed and several others were injured. However, the majority of reports consistently identified three fatalities.

Multiple sources attributed the strikes and shelling to Israeli forces.

Victims

Individuals

Rami Abu Ta'ima رامي أبو طعيمة
43 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 906717715
Ahmed Barhim Abu Subha أحمد أبو صبحة
50 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 900194655
Baha Shhdah Salem Abu Mughnim بهاء شحده سالم ابو مغنم
45 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 903432219

Key Information

Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Strike Status
Likely strike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
3–4
3 Men
Civilians reported injured
2

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Abasan al-Kabira (عبسان الكبيرة), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.323417, 34.347364. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Israeli Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Israeli Military
Israeli Military position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (27)

Sources (33)