Israel and Gaza 2023

Satellite imagery, screenshot from Google Earth, October 2023

Belligerent
Israeli Military
Country
Syria
the Gaza Strip
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

ISPT0279

Incident date

October 17, 2023

Location

مخيم البريج, Bureij camp, Deir al Balah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.437934, 34.403857 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On October 17th 2023, an unknown number of casualties were reported in a possible strike on the family home of Lal Al-Salhi in Block 2 of the Al-Bureij camp in Gaza.

While numerous sources reported the strike on the Al-Salhi home, few details are available regarding the number of those injured or killed. No names of victims are offered, and no sources include photos of the aftermath of the strike.

Most accounts simply state: “Injuries in the bombing of the Al-Salhi family’s house in Block 2 of the Bureij camp.” Only one source, a Facebook post by Khamis, offers something like a numerical figure, stating that there were attempts to remove “dozens of wounded and martyrs” from the rubble of the home, which Airwars has quantified as 12-24 in both the fatality and injury range. Given the lack of specificity in reporting, Airwars has graded the harm status as “weak” until further information comes to light.

Due to none of the accounts directly naming Israel as the belligerent, the strike status has been graded as “contested”. However, a tweet by @quds_yu references the strike on the Al-Salhi home, and mentions, separately, Israeli bombing of Khan Yunis.

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 local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    12 – 24
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Israeli Military, Palestinian Militants

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Block 12 being struck, allegedly located within Bureij camp (مخيم البريج). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Bureij camp are: 31.437934, 34.403857.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Palestinian Militants Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Palestinian Militants
  • Palestinian Militants position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    12 – 24
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Israeli Military, Palestinian Militants

Sources (13) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0243

Incident date

October 16, 2023

Location

جوار مسجد عبد الله عزام, Vicinity of Abdullah Azzam Mosque, North Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.545593, 34.525436 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Around 8:00 in the morning of Monday, October 16th 2023, a group of civilians were reportedly injured and killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike near Abdullah Azzam Mosque as they were returning to the city of Beit Hanoun.

Shehab News Agency, Al-Ayyam and other local sources reported that ambulances were called to the scene. Although the exact number of the injured civilians was not reported, the photos posted on social media by Shehab Agency and Palestine Now showed at least four injured men being escorted out of ambulances. Only one source, Al-Ayyam News, also reported about killed civilians, but the exact number of the victims is unknown.

According to @ShehabAgency, the strike occurred after Hebrew language press announced that a truce had begun in the morning and people were returning to their homes.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

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 at approximately 8:00 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @ShehabAgency
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestine now
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    Source: Palestine now
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Reda Al-Shuwaikhi
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    Source: Reda Al-Shuwaikhi
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    Source: Reda Al-Shuwaikhi
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Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Abdullah Azzam Mosque (مسجد عبدالله عزام) to the west of Beit Hanoun (بيت حانون), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.545593, 34.525436. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (8) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0145k

Incident date

October 13, 2023

Location

هبة زقوت, Gaza Strip, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

On Friday, October 13, 2023, prominent Palestinian visual artist Heba Zaqout (39 years old) was killed, with two of her sons Adam and Mahmoud, in an alleged Israeli strike on the house she was staying in, in a residential area of the Gaza Strip.

Her last message to her friend @danielmkovalik was “We are sitting with the children. There is a bombing. I feel afraid,” alongside images, taken from a window, of plumes of smoke and dust in the near distance and another image of two children crouched by a wall in the dark. Her husband and two other sons, Faisal and Baraa, survived.

One source, Mohammed Lamaa, reported in a post on Facebook that Heba was killed alongside her five sons, however, no other sources corroborated this claim.

Family members and friends of Heba Zaqout made heartfelt tributes and described their grief.

Many posted images of her bright acrylic paintings, some that depicted a woman in a traditional Palestinian dress and others depicting the city of Jerusalem.

Heba Zaqout was born in Gaza City on February 18, 1984. An article in GQ Middle East after her death explained how she painted Gaza as a harmonious and peaceful city with dozens of shrines, temples and churches beautifully coexisting. Her artwork also symbolised peace, return to home and ancient culture. She used social media to showcase her work where she built her following. GQ Middle East described her as a “breadwinner” and said that she “held a profoundly resilient spirit that often manifested in her artwork through symbols of peace and coexistence”.

She posted a YouTube video on September 28, 2023, where she said “We all know that there are political tensions and events that are not simple in Gaza. Through drawing, I try to reflect all negative emotions and empty all negative emotions. I consider art a message that I deliver to the outside world through my expression of the Palestinian cause and identity.” Her sister said that she had hoped an exhibition would be held of her work outside of Gaza.

Days before her death she wrote on her Facebook page “Oh God, we entrust you with hearts grieving with separation. Oh God, heal the brokenness of our hearts and make us patient with your judgement and destiny. O Lord, be with us and strengthen us increase our patience and reward us for our patience. O God, bind our hearts, for they cannot be strong or supported. Except for you.”

Heba’s name has been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of nearly 7000 victims’ names and ID numbers released on October 26th.

Where the sources identified the belligerent, sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown. The exact location of the incident is also unknown, where sources identified a location, sources only referred to “the Gaza Strip”.

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 local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Hiba Zagout هبة زقوت
39 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 949814115
Adam ادم
Child male Hiba's son killed
Mahmoud محمود
Child male Hiba's son killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 6
  • (2–5 children1 woman)
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (44) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Gaza resists carnival facebook
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    Source: Mah Hi Zaq facebook
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    Source: Rased news facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Yousef facebook
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    Source: Nisreen Yousef facebook
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    Source: Nisreen Yousef facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nisreen Yousef facebook
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    Source: Nisreen Yousef facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mustafa Ghuneim facebook
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    Source: Mustafa Ghuneim facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Canada Dagmero facebook
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    Source: Canada Dagmero facebook
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    Source: Canada Dagmero facebook
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    Source: Samira Ahmad Jalajel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Samira Ahmad Jalajel facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Lamaa facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Lamaa facebook
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @danielmkovalik
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @danielmkovalik
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    Source: @danielmkovalik
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    Source: @_ZachFoster
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    Source: @wafaabdelrahman
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    Source: @wafaabdelrahman
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    Source: @elenyaart
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    Source: @elenyaart
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    Source: @elenyaart
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    Source: @elenyaart
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    Source: @farahkanaan
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    Source: @BDSmovement
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    Source: @PhilistiaForeva
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    Source: @PhilistiaForeva
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    Source: @ZynabAlAziz
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Middle East Eye News
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    Source: Middle East Eye News
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    Source: Middle East Eye News
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    Source: Middle East Eye News
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    Source: QG Middle East Report
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    Source: QG Middle East Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: QG Middle East Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: QG Middle East Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: QG Middle East Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: QG Middle East Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: QG Middle East Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: The Guardian News

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 6
  • (2–5 children1 woman)
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0332a

Incident date

October 17, 2023

Location

خان يونس, Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.346149, 34.303899 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four members of the al-Masry family were reportedly killed and three others were injured by an alleged Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis during the dawn hours of the 17th of October, 2023.

The killed and injured civilians came from three generations of the al-Masry family. 5-year-old Amir Hammam Salem Samara al-Masry, his mother, 30-year-old Asmaa Jihad Suleiman al-Masry, and her mother, 56-year-old Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry were all killed on the 17th of October. Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry’s husband – Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry – was severely wounded and died in hospital from his injuries 12 days later on October 29th. Those injured in the strike were Aseel Jihad al-Masry — the daughter of Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry and Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry — and two of their grandsons: Jihad Salem Hammam al-Masry and Jihad Ayham Hammam al-Masry, both children. According to Ali al-Astal, their injuries were “serious” and they were transported to hospital.

In an obituary posted on Facebook, the al-Quds Open University paid tribute to Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry, a “scholar and educator” who was “a member of the university’s board and director of its branch in Khan Younis.” Dan Sheehan, writing on Literary Hub, described him as “a historian and university professor whose contributions spanned generations” and who had published “numerous research papers on Islamic history and Palestinian oral traditions in both Arab and international journals.” According to Literary Hub, Dr. Jihad had been on his way to meet his wife and daughter when the attack occurred.

Nephew Hassan T Alakhras recounted his final interaction with Dr. Jihad Suleiman al-Masry in hospital: “when I brought you into the operating room, I kissed you on your forehead and told you to watch, and praise be to God. The last of your words was I bear witness that there is no god but God, and you told me to take care of yourself. With a glance, I went. May God have mercy on you, my dear one.”

Tributes and prayers were also posted on Facebook for the other members of the family who were killed. Young Amir Hammam Salem Samara al-Masry was described as “a bird of paradise” by the Almassry Family. Meanwhile, Osama al-Masri wrote that “The al-Masry family mourns at home and [in the] diaspora”. He added that “We ask God to accept them in the highest heavens and grant them the highest paradise.” Echoing this, Mansour Al-Masri said: “We ask God Almighty to accept them in heaven, to cover them with His vast mercy, to dwell them in His spacious gardens, and to inspire their families and loved ones with patience and solace.”

Family members such as Hassan T Alakhras also expressed their hope for “a speedy recovery for the wounded.”

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike(s) to Israeli forces.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released on October 26th, 2023.

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 around dawn.

The victims were named as:

Family members (7)

Jihad Suleiman al-Masry جهاد سليمان المصري
Adult male killed
Indira Salman Abu Suwais al-Masry انديرا سلمان محمد ابو صويص
56 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 456602143
Asmaa Jihad Suleiman al-Masry أسماء جهاد سليمان المصري
30 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 413038878
Amir Hammam Salem Samara al-Masry أمير همام سالم المصري
5 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 440579977
Aseel Jihad al-Masry اسيل جهاد المصري
Age unknown female injured
Salem Hammam al-Masry سالم همام المصري
Child male injured
Ayham Hammam al-Masry ايهم همام المصري
Child male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child2 women1 man)
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (10) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Suleiman Al-Masry
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Suleiman Al-Masry
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Suleiman Al-Masry
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Almassry Family
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ali Al-Astal
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Hassan T Alakhras
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammad Youssof
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Hassan T Alakhras
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Literary Hub Report
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Khan Younis (خان يونس), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.346149, 34.303899. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (1 child2 women1 man)
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Education
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (15) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISSY033

Incident date

April 29, 2023

Location

حمص, Homs, Syria

Geolocation

34.640616, 36.707550 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On April 29th 2023 the Israeli military reportedly launched missiles which Syrian air defence systems reportedly shot down around 12:55 am in the city of Homs, Syria. There were discrepancies in the accounts of the incident, with some sources reported that three civilians were injured while other reported that four Syrian soldiers were injured.

Local sources varied on their descriptions of the strikes and their resulting damage. Most accounts corroborate the timeline of the missile being launched at midnight and shot down, igniting a petrol station, fuel tankers and trucks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also claimed that a munitions depot, under Hezbollah control was hit. SOHR – quoted in Aaswat News, Bladipresse, and Achrafieh News – verified that the missiles hit after midnight but claimed that it struck an ammunition depot belonging to the Lebanese “Hezbollah,” in the area of the Dabaa military airport in the countryside of Homs, which led to its complete destruction, as well as weapons trucks. There were a few accounts by the Observatory, including one claim by sources that the “the gas station belongs to a person affiliated with the Lebanese “Hezbollah”. The Observatory later reported that the incident injured “four Syrian soldiers, and destroying a truck carrying weapons belonging to (Hezbollah).” SOHR also reported that “violent explosions were heard as a result of the explosion of the ammunition stored in the warehouse, and fires were seen burning at the site, without information about human losses so far.”

A tweet from @aabnour quoted Intel Times Hebrew that identified the location as “a military convoy belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah, which was parked at the “Shahr Al-Alewi” gas station near the town of Shinshar on the Damascus-Aleppo road.”

Military sources, who were quoted by Aaswat News, Syrian Arab News Agency (Syrian regime-controlled news), BBC, Almehwar News and other media, claimed that three civilians were injured. Social media posts captured the fire outbreaks.

According to an Israeli website quoted on Halab Today TV,  the missile was prompted by an “Antonov 74” medium sized Iranian cargo plane’s activity in the area.  The IDF did not comment officially on this strike. Homs is near three air defense bases, one of which is in Shinshar, and two are near the suburb of Al-Andalus.

The incident occured between 12:00 am and 12:55 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Gas facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military
  • Suspected target
    Hezbollah
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–4

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Alleged Israeli strikes on Homs on April 29, 2023. (Posted by Achrafieh News)
  • Location of the strike, posted by @HalabTodayTV.
  • Alleged Israeli strikes on Homs on April 29, 2023. (Image posted by Lebanese-forces)
  • Location of the strike, provided by Intel Times Hebrew and posted by @aabnour
  • Alleged Israeli strikes on Homs on April 29, 2023. (Image posted by @AlarabyTV)
  • Israel bombed weapons depots in Homs, Syria, tonight. The bombing was the heaviest in years
  • From #Homs, last night - side effects indicate what was in storage

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention an vehicles being struck in the vicinity of Shaher Alolaiwi Station (محطة شاهر العليوي). According to research conducted by @aabnour, the potential location of this strike is: 34.640616, 36.707550. Cross referencing evidence from audio-visual material from sources, we are however unable to confirm it as an exact location due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars.

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Gas facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military
  • Suspected target
    Hezbollah
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–4

Incident Code

ISPT0022

Incident date

October 8, 2023

Location

مسجد اليرموك, Yarmouk Mosque, Gaza, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.312024, 34.361819 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the evening of October 8th 2023, 12 people were reported injured, including a baby, when an alleged Israeli strike hit Yarmouk Mosque in the Gaza Strip. The mosque was reported to be completely destroyed.

A tweet from @ShehabAgency stated that 12 injured people arrived at the Al-Shifa Medical complex, while other sources mentioned that there were casualties without noting an exact toll. Images posted by various sources show a baby and an elderly woman injured near the mosque.

Felesteen News spoke to a witness named Bilal Salama (38 years old) who described what happened: “The bombing was sudden, without warning, we felt that the house was exploding, and after the smoke and dust cleared, the vision began to become clearer. I found my daughter bleeding from the impact of glass flying on her head. We all went down to check on my father and mother, who live on the ground floor and whose door opens directly onto the mosque. As you can see, we could not enter from here, so we went from the back and made holes in the walls, and we began removing the rubble until we reached my father and mother and some of the children, grandchildren, who were stuck under the stones that fell on them from the mosque.” Bilal Salama’s father and mother were taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Felesteen News spoke to another witness named Hajj Jihad Jarour whose bulldozer, which is how he made his livelihood, was destroyed by the bombing: “We were sitting in the basement of the house, and suddenly we heard the bombing and the house shook and smoke filled the place. As you can see, everything is gone, the house and the tools. May God compensate us.”

The Palestinian Civil Defense reported on their teams dealing with the evacuation of citizens and the transfer of casualties from the surrounding area. Another local source specified that Ansar Central Ambulance Station evacuated the injured from the bombing.

The mosque was located near Ramzoun al-Ghafri on Al-Jalaa Street.

According to Felesteen News, the minaret at Yarmouk Mosque was silenced for the first time since the mosque was established in 1974. Felesteen News stated that “the bombing affected the area’s water lines and infrastructure” and “many of the houses surrounding the mosque are no longer fit for living”.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

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 evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Daughter of Bilal Salama
female injured
Father of Bilal Salama
male injured
Mother of Bilal Salama
female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution, Water station
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    12
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (24) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Pharmacist Walaa Elmahallawi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian civil defense
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian civil defense
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Palestinian civil defense
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: M saleh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Bougara Demain
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abu Ahmad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abu Ahmad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abu Ahmad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abu Ahmad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Medical services - Gaza Strip
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Medical services - Gaza Strip
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Medical services - Gaza Strip
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Medical services - Gaza Strip
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Medical services - Gaza Strip
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Medical services - Gaza Strip
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mou’men Hassouna
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Yarmouk mosque (مسجد اليرموك) in Gaza city (غزة). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following coordinates: 31.312024, 34.361819.

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Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Religious Institution, Water station
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    12
  • 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.
  • Impact
    Food
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0031

Incident date

October 8, 2023

Location

مخيم النصيرات 5, Al Nuseirat Camp 5, Deir al Balah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.453364, 34.390576 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On October 8th 2023, a civilian home in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip was reportedly hit by an Israeli airstrike killing between four and five civilians from the same family, including at least two children, and wounding between 21 and 22 others.

According to Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, the Israeli airstrike occurred at approximately 4.30pm resulting in the destruction of the four storey Al-Assar family home and three neighboring houses, including the house belonging to the Al-Naqla family in Camp 5 in Al-Nuseirat. Al Mezan reported the death toll as four civilians killed, including two children and a woman.

The four victims killed have been identified by all sources as a family; the mother Shuruq al-Naqla (30 years old), her husband Mohammed al-Naqla (31 years old) and their two sons, Omar al-Naqla (three or four years old) and Yousef al-Naqla (five or six years old). On Facebook Bassem al- Naqla, Shuruq’s brother, reported that Mariam, their third child, was also killed in the attack. However, Amnesty International reported that their two year – old daughter Mariam and their three-year old nephew Abdel Karim were injured and were taken to hospital whereupon they were quickly released due to overcrowding. Around 20 others were also reportedly injured in the attack.

Ismail al-Naqla, Mohammed’s brother, told Amnesty International that their next-door neighbor received a warning call from the Israeli military around 10:30am so Ismail and Mohammad and their families left the home. However, since the bombing hadn’t occurred by 3:30pm, the al-Naqla family had quickly returned home to collect essential items when the bomb struck. They hoped it would be safe to return home as 5 hours had elapsed without a bomb since their neighbors received the call to evacuate earlier that morning. Ismail described to Amnesty “seeing part of his five-year-old nephew Yousef’s brain “outside of his head” and said that three-year-old Omar’s body could not be recovered from under the rubble until the next day.”

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.

Where possible, Airwars has matched names and ages with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of nearly 7000 victims’ names and ID numbers released on October 26th.

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 at approximately 4:30 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (6)

Shuruq al-Naqla شروق النقلة
30 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 804530368
Mohammed al-Naqla محمد النقلة
31 years old male Shuruq's husband killed Matched to MoH ID 803829480
Omar al-Naqla عمر النقلة
3 years old male their son killed Matched to MoH ID 442300653
Yousef al-Naqla يوسف النقلة
5 years old male their son killed Matched to MoH ID 438190076
Mariam al-Naqla مريم النقلة
2 years old female their daughter - unclear if she was killed or injured injured
Abdel Karim عبد الكريم
3 years old male Shuruq's nephew injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2–3 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    21–22
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammad Ismail Al Hor
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Zakaria Al Qatrawi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammad Ismail Al Hor
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nuseirat Municipality
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention Al Nuseirat Camp 5 (مخيم النصيرات 5) northeast of Deir Al Balah (دير البلح). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 31.453364, 34.390576.

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  • Imagery:
    Zakaria Al Qatrawi

  • Imagery:
    Arabiaa News

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp, Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 5
  • (2–3 children1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    21–22
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0145

Incident date

October 12, 2023

Location

الجنينة, Al Geneina, Rafah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.296461, 34.243759 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On 12 October 2023, an alleged Israeli strike hit the home of Magdy Abu Hilal, on Aed al-Bashiti street in the El Geneina neighbourhood of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip killing at least three civilians, including at least one child. Journalist Adel Alzaarab Official said the strike was conducted in the evening.

Multiple sources identified the victims as brothers, 34 year old Musab Magdy Abu Hilal and 24 year old Jihad Magdy Abu Hilal, portrayed as two young men, who were the sons of Magdy Abu Hilal and Umhm Musab Abu Hilal. Their third brother, Abdullah, had allegedly died two days before, according to Suhayb Abu Nada on Facebook. A third victim, a child, was identified as Khalil Asaad Ardah Al-Shaer. His exact age was not specified.

On Facebook, Umm Mohammad Abu Hilal referred to “two massacres” which hit her family the same day, the first one killing two brothers, and the second one leading to the death of Amani Muhammad Hassan Abu Hilal and her children. The second incident has been coded separately as ISPT0145a. Several local sources claimed that 12 members of Abu Hilal family were killed – though Airwars could only identify eight victims in the two separate attacks. @esraasaid2 on Twitter affirmed that among those 12 victims, three infants “born 10 days ago” were killed, without specifying in which incident they were killed or providing their names while another source indicated that the youngest victim was a 10 day-old baby.

Airwars’ maximum death toll estimates for this incident and for ISPT0145 was set at 12, as no further information was available regarding these four additional victims. As such, it is possible that the maximum number of victims overlaps. Airwars will update its estimates when more information comes to light.

A relative of the family, Um Mohammad Abu Hilal, mourned the two brothers Musab and Jihad on social media.

When sources identified a belligerent, they attributed the strike to the Israeli forces.

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 evening.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Musab Magdy Abu Hilal مصعب ابو هلال
34 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802479725
Jihad Magdy Abu Hilal جهاد ابو هلال
24 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 404555740

The victims were named as:

Khalil Asaad Arada Al-Shaer خليل اسعد عراده الشاعر
Child killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 12
  • (1–3 children)
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (26) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: HaSan Khalid
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Suhayb Abu Nada
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: The Al-Shaer Family in the country and diaspora
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Eng-Moutasm Abd
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mahmoud Abu Helal
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Learn English with Alaa
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al Geneina (الجنينة) to the east of  Rafah (رفح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.296461, 34.243759. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 12
  • (1–3 children)
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (26) [ collapse]