In the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 18th 2023, at least 39 identified civilians, including 11 members of al-Ashqar family and eight members of al-Wardeh family, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the two houses in Jabalia al-Badad in the Northern Gaza Strip. Among the victims killed in the airstrike were at least six women and at least fourteen children. The number of injured is unknown, but at least one child was injured based on the available images shared on social media.
Photos of body bags and deceased and injured civilians have circulated on social media. Shehab Agency posted a picture of the funeral of al-Ashqar family members where eight bodies wrapped in white cloth, among them two children’s bodies, are to be seen.
Sources on social media helped to identify the names of the civilians that were killed in the strike belonging to different families.
al-Ashqar family
Within the al-Ashqar family, most of the victims were women and children. Muhammad Ahmed al-Ashqar (Abu Ahmed) was killed alongside his wife and son. Among the victims killed in the strike were also a 60-year-old woman, Hanan Muhammad al-Ashqar, and a 29-year old woman, Asma Ahmed Sabhi Tanbura, along with her daughter, 4-year-old Dhia Saeed Anan Tanboura. A 25-year old woman, Shaima Iyad Musa al-Ashqar, was also killed, as was a 16-year old girl, Israa Ahmed Subhi al-Ashqar, and a 7-year-old girl, Batoul Murad Ismail Yassin (al-Ashqar). The attack also took the lives of the two twin 3-year old boys, Yaman Muhammad al-Ashqar and Yamen Muhammad al-Ashqar.
Initially the post by Mohammed Zidan mentioned only eight names of the victims from al-Ashqar family, but the later testimonies contained three additional names.
Muhammad Ahmed al-Ashqar (Abu Ahmed) was remembered in a Facebok tribute by his friend Abu Hamza Hajo, sharing the images of the middle-aged man with a grey beard.
Abu Wardeh
Abu Wardeh family also has suffered significant losses consisting of mostly women and children. Among the killed family members were a 28-year-old man, Wassem Ahmed Hasan Abu Wardeh, a 28-year-old woman, Basma Ramadan Muhammma Abu Warda, an 11-year-old girl, Amal Muhammad Saleh Abu Wardeh, and four boys – 4-year-old Karam Wissam Ahmed Abu Wardeh, 2-year-old Ahmed Muhammad Saleh Abu Warda, 5-year-old Juma Muhammad Saleh Abu Wardeh, and 9-year-old Ayman Wissam Ahmad Abu Wardeh.
al-Tanani family
The al-Tanani family lost a 29-year-old man, Abdel Fattah Samir al-Tanani, along with his wife, 25-year-old Baraa Fayez Ibrahim al-Tanani, and a 24-year-old man, Abdul Rahman Samir al-Tanani. A son of Abdel and Baraa whose name is unknown was injured.
A brother of the late Abdel, Ahmed Tannan, wrote a heartfelt tribute to his relatives: “I mourn my brother, the joy of my heart, a piece of my heart, and the brother of my soul, my brother, companion, friend, and lover, Abdel Fattah al-Tanani, his wife Baraa Fayez al-Tanani, and my companion, lover, and friend, my cousin, Abdul Rahman al-Tanani.”
He attached the image of the two cousins, one of them in a Palestinian scarf.
Watan E Tanani and Ãhmad Ãbu Ãdham also mourned the death of the two cousins and posted their pictures. Osama Al-Tanani wrote: “Sorry, Abdel Fattah, yesterday was the last contact between you and me, and you were telling me that we were victorious and steadfast. This is what remains of your family, my friend”, attaching an image of their injured son with blood on his clothes and body.
al-Hassi family
Among the victims from al-Hassi family, social media sources mentioned Howaida Ahmed al-Hassi, Rizq Nimr al-Hassi, Haifa Rajab al-Hassi, Hatem Ahmed al-Hassi and Rajab Ahmed al-Hassi. Further details about their age and gender are unknown.
Gharib family
A young man Thaer Subhi Gharib was killed alongside his son, Ahmed Thaer Gharib. He was mentioned in a number of social media posts by his relatives and friends mourning his death.
Ahmed Aita Abu al-Joud posted the graphic image of the dead bodies of Thaer and his son Ahmed wrapped in a white cloth with traces of blood, writing that, “The precious Thaer Gharib is a martyr.” Thaer’s brother-in-law Muhammad Ibn Sheikh Ismail also posted on Facebook shocking photos of Thaer and Ahmed after their death and wrote a heartfelt tribute: “And do not think that those who were killed in the cause of God are dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for. My sister’s husband, Thaer Gharib, and my nephew, Ahmed Thaer Gharib”.
Abu Nedal Krezim shared his grief over the loss of his lifelong friend, colleague, and his “brother whom his mother did not give birth to” and posted his pictures where he was still alive and smiling, in front of a car with Palestinian flags in one the pictures. In one picture Thaer can be seen with his small smiling son Ahmed.
al-Kahlout family
48-year-old Shaker Marzouk Shaker al-Kahlout was killed alongside his wife, who remains unnamed, and their children: a 4-year-old boy, Adam Shaker Marzouk al-Kahlout, and an 11-year-old daughter Sarah Hassan Marzouk al-Kahlout. The death of this family was mourned in a Facebook post by Kenan who wrote that they were his neighbours and also shared an image of the late Shaker – a man in a red T-shirt taking a picture in nature.
al-Mutawq families
Mustafa Nour al-Mutawq was killed along with Muhammad Yusuf al-Mutawq. Mahmoud al-Kahlot dedicated a Facebook post to the “beloved” Muhammad Yusuf al-Mutawq, sharing an image of a young smiling bearded man in a suit. Muhammad was also remembered in the posts by Omar King and Muhammad Farah.
Other victims
Among the other victims listed in social media testimonies were Muhammad Abdullah Asalia, and a 24-year-old man, Zakaria Saeed Ahmed Sha’ban, as well as an 8-year old girl, Aya Nidal Akram Abu Laila.
Ahmed Asalia mourned the death of his brother Muhammad Asalia, sharing his image where a young man in a grey shirt can be seen and putting his grief into words:
“Those I love are gone
Those with whom the world is not sweet are gone
Those whom the heart adores are gone
Those who left the heart torn apart are gone.”
In another post, he shared an image of the dead Muhammad’s face covered with blood and dust.
Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces. According to the post by Kenan, the attack happened without prior warning.
Due to the scale and urgency of Airwars’ assessment process, all images have been automatically uploaded to each assessment with the graphic filter applied to protect users. We have also included all images identified from the sources, which may also include any imagery of combatants.
The incident occured in the morning.
