(Previous Incident Code: ISPT053)

At least two men were killed in Al-Shujaiya neighbourhood during alleged Israeli airstrikes in the area at around dawn on May 14th, 2021, multiple sources reported. They were identified as Husam Baker al-Hayya and Saqer Abdulmajid al-Hayya.

Both Husam Baker al-Hayya and Saqer Abdulmajid al-Hayya’s deaths were announced on Hamas’ Telegram channel, which identified them as “Al-Qassami Mujahid” meaning they were possibly fighters belonging to the group’s military wing. Undated photos shared on social media showed the two men in military fatigues with guns. Three other sources meanwhile identified Saqer as a Sheikh, with a Facebook post from My World describing him as a “distinguished preacher in the Waqf of Gaza City” who had presented his master’s thesis at the Islamic University three days earlier.

The two men were killed after missiles struck a group of people, according to both Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Multiple sources reported heavy strikes in the area, with damage sustained to the local cemetery, alongside civilian homes. The consensus among the sources was that Israel was responsible for the strikes.

This assessment was discounted as a civilian harm incident after a review of sources found that those harmed in the event were militants.