Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT240724m

Incident date

July 24, 2024

Location

جورت اللوت, Jourat al-Lout, Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

Five civilians, including a twelve-year-old boy, were reportedly killed and others injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on a car belonging to the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO) traveling through Jourat al-Lout in Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip, on the afternoon of Wednesday 24th July 2024.

Those immediately killed in the incident, reported by Tariq Musleh to include GEDCO employees, were named on Facebook by sources such as Rami al-Najjar as Haitham Hamada Hamed al-Najjar, Helmy Ammar Essam al-Najjar, Essam Ahmen Essam al-Najjar, and 18-year-old Essam Nafeth Muhammed Arbi` (Arabia).

Firas Ahmed Ali Qashta, a twelve-year-old child who was a resident of Rafah, was severely injured in the incident and his family confirmed in a Facebook post on Friday 26th July that he had died of his wounds.

Tariq Musleh, writing on Facebook, alleged that several others had been injured in the strike, without providing further details.

An image posted on Facebook by Rami al-Najjar showed the aftermath of the incident. The image showed a damaged GEDCO pick-up truck with a dead man outside its open door. The truck appeared to be loaded with luggage.

A further video posted by news outlet al-Hadath Palestine showed those killed in the strike arriving at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released six lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars matches individuals to the first list where their names appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the sixth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities.

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

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Haitham Hamada Hamed al-Najjar هيثم حمادة حامد النجار
Adult male killed
Helmy Ammar Essam al-Najjar حلمي عمار عصام النجار
Adult male killed
Essam Ahmed Essam al-Najjar عصام احمد عصام النجار
Adult male killed

The victims were named as:

Essam Nafeth Muhammed Arbi` (Arabia) عصام نافذ اربيع
18 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 422750869
Firas Ahmed Ali Qashta فراس احمد علي قشطة
12 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Em Omar and Aboody
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Tariq Musleh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Rami El Najjar
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mehazem Azou
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mehazem Azou
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mehazem Azou
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mehazem Azou
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mehazem Azou
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mehazem Azou
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child4 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (16) [ collapse]