Around midday on the 27th of July 2024, between 30 and 53 civilians, including at least 15 children and eight women, were killed and at least 100 others were injured by a declared Israeli airstrike on the Khadija school, Deir Al Balah, Gaza Strip.

Sources detailed that the school was housing a large number of displaced people with an established medical facility in one of its buildings, which was affected by the strike. The incident is widely referred to as a “massacre” throughout the reporting due to the scale.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike on their official Telegram channel, stating that they “struck terrorists operating a Hamas command and control center embedded inside the Khadija School in central Gaza.”

Based on the collated reports, Airwars found the names of 17 civilians who were killed in the strike. However, the estimates by reporting and pictures accompanying suggest the number of people killed to be much higher. The highest number included in the reporting is 53 provided by journalist @AbujomaaGaza while the lowest early toll of deaths was 30. Alaraby specified that 16 children were killed while @MiddleEastEye stated that 15 children were among the 30 killed. Safa News stated that eight of those killed were women, while Alaraby put the number of women killed at nine.

Abu Mohammad Abu Aoun posted on Facebook that his brother 37-year-old Diaa al-Din Salah Abu Aoun (Abu al-Nour) along with his brother’s son 11-year-old Ali Diaa al-Din Abu Aoun were killed in the airstrike. According to Yasser Youssef, the father and son were from al-Bureij. Accompanied to the post by Abu Mohammad is a picture of a man sat astride an old motor bike – it is assumed that this is Diaa al-Din. On his lap is a young boy smiling proudly into the camera, it is likely this is his son Ali. In a different post, Islam Islam paid respects to Diaa and his son, including another picture of Diaa smiling with friends.

A third unnamed member of the Abu Aoun family was also killed in the same incident, according to Mohammed Abu Aoun who was also injured during the strike; Mohammed told Alaraby News that he was in one of the classrooms on the second floor about to leave to go and buy food from Deir al-Balah camp market when the strike “caused glass to fly and the doors of the classroom to be shattered.” Alaraby News also quoted Mohammed as saying “The area was almost destroyed, and it contained a large number of displaced people. The available spaces in which the displaced can stay are limited. A field hospital was set up in the heart of the school to serve the displaced, and a large number of them decided to stay in the school in order to be close to a center to receive treatment, including my family who preferred to stay because my elderly mother needed medical care.” Ten members of the Abu Aoun family had been displaced to the school, originally from Gaza City, and had been displaced repeatedly.

In describing the aftermath the strike, Mohammed said that “The massacre left behind many dismembered bodies, and the remains of the martyrs were scattered, and I saw some of them when they fell after being hit. I have never seen such explosive force in my life, and everyone who overlooked the schoolyard was either a martyr or injured, and the timing of the bombing was when most of the displaced people were leaving the classrooms to get some air, or to go to the markets to secure food.”

Abu Omar posting also on Facebook accounted that Umm Ahmed and her infant daughter Salma Nasser Frejj had also been killed in the airstrike. Salma was reportedly born on December 26, 2023 and had only known war before her death. Although the mother of Salma, Umm Ahmed, is not named in initial posts about those killed, later sources provided her name as 45-year-old Rania Al-Shoubaki (Umm Ahmed). In a post from Abu Omar, Hajj Samih Freij (Abu Ashraf) and his wife Hajja (Umm Ashraf) and their extended family offer their condolences to their cousin Nasser Hussein Freij on the death of his wife Umm Ahmed and his infant daughter Salma.

A post from Ahmed Saber identified Karim Al-Af, a boy, as among those killed in the strike. The post added that Karim’s mother had been receiving treatment in an Egyptian hospital after being injured in a previous bombing in al-Maghazi refugee camp the middle of the Gaza strip.

Alzawaida posted that 24-year-old Bahaa al-Din Ismail Al-Dirawi was killed in the airstrike, and the post includes a photo of a young man smiling at the camera while in a shop selling electronics. It was reported by Yasser Yousef that Bahaa al-Din was from al-Nuseirat and described as beloved, dear, smiling, well-mannered, generous and calm. Tareq Alredawi added that Bahaa al-Din was his cousin and had been killed on the anniversary of the death of his brother, illustrating the scale of the continuous suffering in Gaza.

Mohammed Awad posted a list of those killed in the bombing, adding three to the names already collated: 41-year-old Hussam Abdul-Hakim Hosni Abu Shamala, Muhammad Abdul Salam, and 22-year-old Yasmine Ashraf Fayed. In a post by Abdul Salam Qamoum, Malak Muhammad Abdul Salam, the young daughter of Muhammad Abdul Salam, was reported missing during the strike. Pictured is a young child smiling at the camera in a blue flower dress, holding hands with another young girl. Malak Muhammad’s name was found on the Ministry of Health list of fatalities, and therefore has been presumed dead. She is listed as being five years old.

According to Yasser Youssef, Hussam Abdul-Hakim Hosni Abu Shamala and Yasmine Ashraf Fayed both came from al-Buriej.

Fayez Abu Shamala posted a prayer on behalf of the Al-Musa/Abu Shamala family in Jordan for Hussam Abdul-Hakim along with a picture of a middle-aged man standing in the foreground of an orange sunset, smiling into the camera. Fayez’s post offers condolences to Hussam’s family

Khaled Ahmad also commemorated Hussam Abdul-Hakim, adding that his daughter had been killed in a strike a week prior. Alaraby reported testimony from Mohammed Abu Shamala (40 years old), Hussam’s brother: “I wanted to collect the limbs of my martyred brother so I could bury him in a cemetery, or even in the street, as he helped many people and saved many lives during previous Israeli bombings.” The post goes on to add that he was not successful in finding all of Hussam’s body parts. He added that many of his family had been killed in different strikes across the country: “I lost almost everything: my brother, three of my uncles, my grandfather, a number of my cousins, many of my friends, and my home before all that.”

Anadolu Agency spoke with Ashraf Fayed, who was 59 years old at the time of the attack and explained how he was sat with his daughter, Yasmine Ashraf Fayed, when “suddenly a major explosion occurred, shrapnel, stones and flames fled towards us”. Yasmine was reportedly killed while Ashram was injured in the strike and was waiting to be treated at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital for the extensive burns and pain across various parts of his body. However, with the lack of medical supplies, personnel or equipment it was unclear when or if Ashraf would be able to receive treatment at the time. According to Ashraf, “Three missiles fell on the field hospital inside the school, which caused the death and injury of dozens. We were taken to the hospital by civilian cars and vehicles for treatment.”

Middle East Eye (MEE) spoke with Umm Ahmad Fayed, a displaced woman who was shelling at the school with her family and said she could not find her daughter after the strike – based on her name, she is likely the wife of Ashram Fayed and her missing daughter was Yasmine Ashraf Fayed. At the time of the attack, Umm Ahmad was taking care of her husband, who had been brought to the school from al-Aqsa Hospital originally while their daughter was staying in a room with other displaced girls. “Her clothes, bed, and all her stuff are destroyed, but I do not know if they saved her, if she is dead, if she is alive, I do not know.”

Jihad Qaffa wrote on Facebook that her sister 22-year-old Wijdan Ali Qaffa Abu Gaza (Umm Bilal) who she referred to as “beloved of my heart”, was killed in the airstrike. A post from Wijdan’s sister-in-law Aya Mohamed memorialized Wijdan and added that she would be joining her older brother’s wife, Alaa Abdul Rahman Abu Gaza, in the afterlife. According to her Facebook profile. Wijdan was married to Yousef Abu Gaza and they had a three year old son.

Wisam Salman posted that his relative, 37-year-old Abdul Hadi Khader Ahmed Salama, was killed in the strike on the school, adding that Abdul joined his mother, father, and brother in the afterlife.

Ramy Mazyad reported that their cousin 32-year-old Muhammad Jamal Abu Kamil (Abu Rakan/Abu Jafaar) was killed in the airstrike: pictured is a young man smiling at the camera on a sunny day. It was added that his wife and sons had been killed in a previous strike months ago. According to Taher Abu Kamil, Muhammad Jamal Abu Kamil was receiving treatment in the field hospital housed in the school.

Anadolu Agency interviewed Muhammad Jamal Abu Kamil’s brother Basil Abu Kamil, age 32, who had survived the strike but had sustained injuries. He added that “I was sitting in the field hospital with my brother Muhammad, who was wounded in a former Israeli bombing that resulted at the time of his family completely martyred and wounded, and suddenly, the planes brutally bombed the hospital.” According to Basil, rooms where people who were injured in previous Israeli airstrikes and were receiving medical care were struck. Basil also told The Electronic Intifada that “My brother lost consciousness in my arms and my clothes are now stained with his blood. I rushed out of the school so that I could take my brother to hospital. But unfortunately I could not save him.”

Abdulrahman Taha posted that he had lost his niece Habiba in the airstrike, along with a picture of a middle-aged man holding the body of a young girl under the age of 10 who looks to have sustained a serious head injury. Middle East Eye spoke with a girl named Khadija, a sister of Habiba who was mourning over her loss. Habiba and Khadija’s father has been detained by Israel for the past 8 months, according to their mother.

A Facebook post from the profile for the Bureij area stated that a “precious moon of Bureij” 20-year-old Ibrahim Muhammad Shaban Eid was killed. Like many, it was reported that he was the only survivor from his family and that his mother, father, sister and relatives were killed while only he and his brother remained. Accompanying the post is a photo of a young man, Ibrahim, with an older gentleman holding a toddler with a balloon while another post from Raed Abo Kadous who also gave condolences for the loss of Ibrahim, who he referred to as a “distinguished, well-mannered, and dutiful young man” along with an image of Raed with Ibrahim. According to Raed Abo Kadous, Ibrahim was his student a few years ago and he was ranked first in the Fathi Al-Balaawi School, Science Branch, at that time. After Ibrahim’s family was killed, Raed suggested “that we go to the beach, sit there, and chat to ease his grief over the martyrdom of his family. I saw nothing from him but a strong, determined young man. He says: “Professor Hakmal is my teacher and I will fulfill the dream of my martyred family.”

Acco Hanan posted a day after the strike that his brother’s wife Amani Musa Al-Qarnawi (Umm Osama), also from Bureij, was killed and would be joining her husband who had been killed two months after the start of the war. Both Amani and her husband left behind their first child Osama, who she gave birth to during the war and was conceived after 15 years of trying through IVF.

Along with those reportedly killed in the strike were details of those who had been injured or reported missing. Based on images from local sources, there are at least four children known to have been injured, though this is likely an undercount given the wider context and description of the event.

On the 28th July, a day after the strike, journalist Hassan Eslayeh posted that his journalist colleague Youssef Al-Fairani was injured at the school, along with a picture of Youssef in his helmet and protection vest with “press” printed across while standing infant of the emergency department of a hospital and another of Youssef receiving an IV on a makeshift hospital bed with blood around his neck.

Mohammad Al-Hams also posted a wish of healing for his brother Suhaib Al-Hams who was injured in the strike – Suhaib is pictured in a smart blazer.

In addition Sally Thabit posted an urgent appeal for the injured Osama Abu Jalil (Al-Sawarka) from Al-Deir, who is pictured with a bandage across his right eye covering this side of his face, and other bloody injuries on his body. The urgent appeal asks for anyone who knows him to go to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

A tweet from @IslamGreatQuran included images from QudsNEN (Telegram) with quotes from survivors, including Mohammed Mustafa, who “was in the courtyard of Khadija School when two missiles hit us. Suddenly, I found myself in a hole beside an unexploded rocket. My face was covered with blood and dust due to several shrapnel. My friend pulled me out of the hole with many bruises in my body.” QudsNEN also spoke with Khader Sh, who “was at the school’s gate heading to a building to snatch my family’s belongings after the medical point was struck and at least 20 people were declared killed. I stepped through the threshold just a minute before the building I was heading to was struck. I couldn’t pull anything out and returned with light injuries.”

Reuters spoke with Umm Hasan Ali, whose daughter had been taken to Egypt for medical treatment just a couple months before and was again injured in this strike and taken to the hospital.

Anadolu Agency interviewed a 7-year-old girl named Sila Husu who sustained a skull fracture and damage to her left eye in the strike on Khadija School. Sila’s mother said that “The first attack happened while we were having breakfast,” and while they were looking for shelter, shrapnel hit them. “Sila had fallen to the ground, and I was looking around for someone to pick her up and some young people came and took her to the hospital.” She told Anadolu Agency “I want to be a doctor when I grow up, and I want to treat little children.” Sila and her family appealed to the world to allow her to be transferred outside of Gaza for treatment.

The exact time of the strike is unknown. However, the Civil Defense initially reported to Safa News at 12:32 that there were 12 deaths and a number of injuries as a result of an Israeli bombing on the Khadija school, later updating this toll to 31 killed. The pictures show smoke still in the sky around the airstrike, suggesting that the airstrike took place around midday. It is likely that this is one of the early reports on the incident as the numbers of casualty rose significantly in other reports.

Kamal Omane reported that the hospital spokesman from “Al-Aqsa Martyrs” Hospital stated that “more than 60% of the injuries that arrived at the hospital are serious,” adding that they were in dire need of medical supplies and staff. A Facebook post from Hamam Gaza reported that “100 injuries, some of them seriously” had resulted from the strike so far, while others stated that the number of injured was over 100 and Alaraby put the injury toll at “more than 110.”

Many sources stated that the school was being used to shelter displaced people, with The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Britain detailing that there were more than 4000 Palestinian displaced people residing in the buildings. Alaraby commented on the state of sanitation surrounding the school explaining that the area suffers from infrastructural problems because of the destruction of the sewage network. Although the scale of the numbers of people residing in this school is hard to depict from the sources, it is clear in multiple images that there were makeshift beds, sometimes more than eight to a room, covering a large percentage of the floor space in the school rooms. In a post by Khaled Sha’ban, an eyewitness highlights the struggle for people in Palestine who have been displaced multiple times exclaiming “where are we supposed to go?”

Middle East Eye (MEE) spoke with Fadel Keshko, a 22-year-old man who was staying in the school with his sick grandmother and nephew, stating that “The building I took shelter in was directly targeted. The distance between me and the rocket was just a metre away. I am horrified and terrified.” Keshko described “blood splashed over the floors, mothers crying in pain and panic”. Keshko then went on to say that he had already been displaced from the north of Gaza, and did not know where else to go.

Eyewitness Mostafa al-Rafati also told MEE he saw “children, women, heads, arms, legs, a scene of ghosts”. He saw the person next to him suddenly fly away the moment the strikes hit, in what he called “a horrible scene”. “I thought I was dreaming, I kept hitting myself because I could not believe what was happening.”

The Electronic Intifada also spoke with Muhammad Abu Seif, who assisted with the rescue efforts at the school and encountered a woman who was looking for someone with a car who could bring her to hospital because her 1-year-old child had been wounded in the head by shrapnel. “I saw women and men carrying patients, who had been injured previously during the war. These patients were receiving treatment in the school, now they were being brought to the hospital.” A wife of Muhammad’s friend was also killed – she had just given birth and her newborn baby could not be found. During the rescue efforts, a neighbour received a phone call ordering that the school be evacuated within 10 minutes, and shortly after two more missiles struck the school and it was completely destroyed.

Much of the reporting and imagery from the strike is graphic, including an image widely shared of a decapitated child. Hisham Azb posted a harrowing video with family members in clear distress, and this story is referenced in multiple posts. Another post by Mihdi shows a teenager who has been killed while returning from buying bread for his family.

Multiple of the pictures show debris on the floor outside, in daylight, and there are a large number of people around what appears to be a courtyard. In multiple images it’s clear that some buildings have collapsed, and the buildings have large craters in them. Refugees Palestine illustrated the scale of the destruction with images of men standing in front of whole buildings which have collapsed and children searching through the debris. Later posts captured men carrying bodies through the same courtyard.

In one image, a young boy lies injured on a tiled floor, he is being tended by men in civilian clothing and is bandaged around his knees and wrist. It is unclear whether this child survived his injuries. This floor is pictured in other posts and is covered in blood. It is unclear whether this is a hospital, but it appears that many of the bodies from the strike were brought there and were being visited by mourners. In one picture around eight bodies are laid on this floor and covered with different patterned blankets. At least two of the bodies were those of children who appeared under five.

Numerous posts elucidated how the school facilitated a medical centre within one of its central buildings, Alaraby stated that this had been set up by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. Images posted by Wafa News show a man with an amputated limb, and a man in a wheelchair being removed from rooms with rubble. These two men do not appear to be injured from this strike yet are being housed within the schools buildings which may suggest they were here to receive treatment for their previous injuries.

Alaraby detailed how the field hospital was being used for treating seasonal diseases and infections and undertook the tasks of changing the bandages of the wounded, treating skin diseases, and following up on pregnancies, as it included a clinic for women’s diseases and another for children.

Alaraby added how Nurse Mohammed Al-Diraoui, a nurse in the field hospital, said that three of the patients he was treating in the field hospital were killed in the strike, and that he saw two of the wounded he had previously treated among the martyrs as well.

Kamal Omane stated that the raid took place on a prayer hall inside the school as well as the medical facility.

Multiple sources claimed that the school was hit more than once, with one source claiming it was hit as many as six times. Pal Today TV reported directly from the scene of the strike and in a video showed what appears to be an exploded missile which apparently was dropped during the strike. Palestine TV added detail that the school was hit twice in a row, the first without warning and the second after a call for immediate evacuation that did not give the citizens enough time to get to safety. Mysaa Reyad Jendeya explained how the school building was reportedly bombed four times in a row adding that less than an hour later it was bombed with a barrel which led to flames that would not stop and a large amount of shrapnel.

The Israeli Defense Forces released a statement on Telegram that “The IDF struck terrorists operating a Hamas command and control center embedded inside the Khadija School in central Gaza. A short while ago, in a strike based on precise IDF and ISA intelligence, terrorists operating in a Hamas command and control center inside the Khadija school compound in central Gaza were struck by the IAF. Hamas terrorists used the compound as a hiding place to direct and plan numerous attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel. In parallel, the terrorists developed and stored large quantities of weapons inside the compound. Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of appropriate munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.”

The British Consulate in Jerusalem released a statement that “Yesterday’s Israeli airstrike on Khadija girls’ school in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of innocent Palestinian children and families sheltering in a displaced people’s centre, is unacceptable.”

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 sixth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list.