Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

M21ISPT108

Incident date

May 18, 2021

Location

بيت حانون, Beit Hanoun, North Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.536116, 34.537239 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

As many as three people were injured in an alleged Israeli air or artillery strike on a house in Beit Hanoun, North Gaza on May 18th 2021, according to local reports.

While the Palestine Times said the house, belonging to the Al-Kafarneh family, was targeted by an artillery shell, the SHMS News Agency and several other Arabic language sources reported the injuries were the result of an airstrike.

Al Haq published a list of property owners whose buildings had been targeted between the 17th – 19th of May. According to the source, on the 18th of May in the nearby neighborhood of Jabalia, a three-story house belonging to Ahmed Abdel Fattah Bakr Al-Kafarneh was targeted at 10:50 am.

Ahmad Al-Kafarneh has previously been reported as belonging to a Saraya Al-Quds, the militant wing of the Islamic Jihad group: On February 11th 2021, Defense for Children International Palestine, released a report about an explosion at the home of a man named Ahmad Al-Kafarneh: “An explosion in the northern Gaza Strip in late January destroyed a residential building, damaged several public buildings, and caused injury to 18 Palestinian children. The explosion occurred on January 23 around 8:15 a.m. originating on the roof of a three-story residential building in a densely-populated neighborhood in Beit Hanoun, located in the northern Gaza Strip. The building owner’s son, Ahmad Al-Kafarneh, 32, built and maintained a warehouse on the roof used to store munitions and military equipment for the Palestinian armed group, Saraya Al-Quds, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, of which he is a member, according to a source in the North Gaza General Investigation Department.”

Reports of the incident began circulating at approximately 11:00.

The incident occured at approximately 11:00 am local time.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Beit Hanoun (بيت حانون), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.536116, 34.537239. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Palestinian Forces

Sources (27) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Palestinian Forces

Sources (27) [ collapse]