Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Belligerent
Country
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

ISPT0557

Incident date

October 24, 2023

Location

منزل لآل الحلقاوي في رفح جنوب القطاع, Al-Halqawi family in Rafah, Rafah, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

At least one person was killed and dozens were injured on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, after an alleged Israeli military aircraft reportedly struck the Al-Halqawi family home next to Rabaa Shahida School and in the vicinity of the Ali Mosque in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Shehab Agency initially reported the incident but did not mention civilian injuries or casualties. Safa.ps would later claim that there were “martyrs and injured”. The X/Twitter account @alrayps and the Facebook user Mohammed Refat Farhat both declared the number of injured civilians was in the dozens, including serious injuries, with Mohammed Refat Farhat identifying only one “martyr” killed.

Wesam Rekhawi, who was injured in the attack, recounted his personal experience of the alleged strike in a Facebook post: “Praise be to God who saved me from death after the cowardly enemy targeted the house of my esteemed neighbors, the Al-Halaqawi family, which led to my injuries to my feet and hands, and tomorrow I will undergo surgery on my left foot.”

The Facebook user Sumayya Umm Sohaib posted a video showing a man bleeding and in significant pain along with a young boy, also bleeding, being carried on a single stretcher to receive treatment outside of what the user identifies as the Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Rafah. At least two other injured people can be seen in the video. A different user, Faras Abu Shrkh, uploaded several photographs showing injured individuals arriving on stretchers and receiving treatment in what seems to be the same location. Two of these civilians can be seen in both the video and some of the photographs. However, as these images were included in another incident which occurred near Ali Mosque on the same day, it is unclear if the injuries occurred in this incident.

No publicly available information regarding the reportedly deceased individuals was available.

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 local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Wesam Rekhawi
Adult male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Faras abu shrkh
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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
    1 – 2
  • Civilians reported injured
    12–24
  • 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

ISPT0545

Incident date

October 24, 2023

Location

محيط مسجد علي, Vicinity of the Ali Mosque, Rafah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.290003, 34.247267 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On October 24th 2023, an alleged Israeli strike hit the house of the Natat family, near Rabaa Al-Adawiya School within the vicinity of Ali Mosque, west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, injuring at least two people based on images provided by local sources.

Multiple local sources reported that “injuries” resulted from the strike on the Natat family home, but did not provide an exact toll of the injuries. The account @Shehabagency posted to X/ Twitter images of an injured boy receiving attention from medical professionals as well as an injured man being wheeled into hospital on a stretcher. An image of a third man is also shared, but due to him being covered by white cloth, it is not possible to affirm that this is a separate person to the other two people. The caption alleges that the people pictured had been injured during an airstrike on the Natat family home and were being transferred to Kuwait Hospital for medical treatment. However, as these images were included in another incident which occurred near Ali Mosque on the same day, it is unclear if the injuries occurred in this incident.

Al-Sharq News also posted about the reported incident on Facebook, sharing images taken by Firas Abu Sharkh which further depict casualties entering the Kuwait Hospital.

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 local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (5) [ 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: @ShehabAgency
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Albalad news network
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

    Source: Al-sharq news
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Al-sharq news

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of Ali mosque (مسجد علي) to the east of Rafah (رفح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.290003, 34.247267. 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
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • 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 attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0500

Incident date

October 23, 2023

Location

مخيم الشاطئ, Al-Shati camp, Gaza City, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

On October 23rd, 2023, Civil Defense crews were allegedly struck by Israeli forces during rescue operations in Al-Shati camp. According to Shehab News Agency, a member of the Civil Defense was injured while attempting to clear rubble from homes destroyed by Israeli aircraft. Further information regarding identification or the state of injuries has not been made available.

An image attached to the report showed a man on a stretcher, though his injuries did not appear severe.

Almayadine and Al Jazeera News corroborated the above claim, stating that Civil Defense crews were bombed while transporting the injured. There were few additional details. This assessment will be updated if and when more specific details emerge.

Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the strike 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 local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Impact
    Healthcare
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @ShehabAgency

Israeli Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    IDP or refugee camp
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Impact
    Healthcare
    Impact on services or infrastructure relating to education, health or food supply. See methodology note for details.
  • Suspected attacker
    Israeli Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0489

Incident date

October 23, 2023

Location

الشيخ رضوان, Muhanna family home located on Al-Oyoun Street near the Al-Jisr area in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, Gaza City, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.531545, 34.464841 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Around 1:00 AM on Monday, October 23, 2023, at least one civilian was killed and a number of others were injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Muhanna family home located on Al-Oyoun Street near the Al-Jisr area in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, west of Gaza City. The names of the casualties are currently unknown.

That day, Shehab Agency tweeted “[Israeli military] aircraft targeted a house for the Muhanna family near the Al-Jisr area in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, and a martyr was recovered and a number of injuries were reported.” On Telegram, @hamza20300 wrote “#Urgent| Martyrs and wounded when [Israeli] warplanes bombed two houses belonging to the Muhanna and Abdel-Al family on Al-Oyoun Street near “Al-Jisr” west of Gaza City.”

On Facebook, the Palestinian Civil Defense shared photos of the destroyed Muhanna family home. In these images, uniformed Palestinian Civil Defense members used flashlights to search through crushed slabs of concrete, rebar, and scattered personal belongings. There were no more details on those killed or injured.

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 1:01 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: P.c.d
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: P.c.d
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: P.c.d

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Sheikh Radwan (الشيخ رضوان) to the west of Gaza city (غزة). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Sheikh Radwan are: 31.531545, 34.464841.

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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
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (16) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0530

Incident date

October 23, 2023

Location

منزل عائلة أبو النجا بحي البرازيل في رفح, Abu al-Naja family residence, Brazil neighborhood, Rafah, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

At least 16 people, including 11 children, were killed and a number of others injured after an alleged Israeli bombardment on the al-Naja residence in the Brazil neighbourhood of Rafah at dawn on October 23rd, 2023.

The patriarch of the family, 59-year-old Hosni Abu al-Naja was killed along with his wife, 49-year old Yasmine Mahmoud Abu Naja. Their son, 30-year-old Muhammad Hosni Ahmed Abu Naja, was killed, as was his wife, 24-year-old Maysoon Jasser Muhammad Khafaja. Hosni and Yasmine’s daughters – 15-year-old Batoul Hosni Ahmed Abu Naja, 13-year-old Maryam and 12-year-old Aya – were also killed, as were their two sons: 10-year-old Zechariah and 7-year-old Isa.

Along with their children, several of Hosni and Yasmine’s grandchildren were also killed. 10-year-old Ibrahim Islam Ali Abu Sanjar was killed along with his three brothers—Mustafa Islam Ali Abu Sanjar (2 or 3), Malik Islam Ali Abu Sanjar (6), Anas Islam Ali Abu Sanjar (5)—and sister, 8-year-old Yusra Islam Ali Abu Sanjar. It is unclear as to what became of the parents of these children.

Two others were killed: 26-year-old Israa Khalil Ahmed Baroud and 15-year-old Osama Suleiman Brahma.

Information regarding the deceased has been relatively scant. Hosni Abu al-Naja has been described as both a Sheikh and professor. A post on Facebook from Abdullah al-Oms described him as a “good man” and “honourable.”

Sources attached photographs of Mohammad and his father. While social media condolence posts were brief in their descriptions, multiple lamented the loss of members of the family, attaching prayers and hopes for heavenly rest.

Middle East Observer stated that the victims were “transferred to Abu Youssef Al-Najjar and Al-Kuwaiti hospitals.” Multiple sources mentioned “injuries” but did not specify how many injuries.

According to Afnan Kholoud Nahed, the location which was struck, Hosni Abu Al-Naga’s house, was completely destroyed.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes 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 (14)

Hosni Abu al-Naja حسني أبو النجا
59 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 905117982
Yasmine Mahmoud Abu Naja ياسمين محمود أبو نجا
49 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 900206343
Muhammad Hosni Ahmed Abu Naja محمد حسني أحمد أبو نجا
30 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 804483493
Maysoon Jasser Muhammad Khafaja ميسون جاسر محمد خفاجة
24 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 404589376
Batoul Hosni Ahmed Abu Naja بتول حسني أحمد أبو نجا
15 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 422359497
Maryam Abu Naja مريم حسني أحمد ابو نجا
13 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 429283906
Aya Abu Naja آية حسني أحمد ابو نجا
12 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 430177055
Zechariah Abu Naja زكريا حسني أحمد ابو نجا
10 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 434056487
Isa Abu Naja عيسى حسني أحمد ابو نجا
7 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 437079338
Ibrahim Islam Ali Abu Sanjar إبراهيم إسلام علي أبو سنجر
10 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 433752649
Mustafa Islam Ali Abu Sanjar مصطفي إسلام علي أبو سنجر
2 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 445245277
Malik Islam Ali Abu Sanjar مالك إسلام علي أبو سنجر
6 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 438176265
Anas Islam Ali Abu Sanjar أنس إسلام علي أبو سنجر
5 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 440693190
Yusra Islam Ali Abu Sanjar يسرى إسلام علي أبو سنجر
8 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 435147434

The victims were named as:

Israa Khalil Ahmed Baroud إسراء خليل أحمد بارود
26 years old female killed Matched to MoH ID 402911077
Osama Suleiman Brahma أسامة سليمان براهمة
15 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 422363440

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    16
  • (11 children3 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Abdallah al-oms
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adel abu naja abu musa
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Ahmad hasan al-tahrawi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Adli abu taha
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    16
  • (11 children3 women2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (21) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0497

Incident date

October 23, 2023

Location

الحي الإماراتي, Emirati neighbourhood, Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.360978, 34.295816

Airwars assessment

Six civilians, including at least one child, were reportedly injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike that hit the Abdul Hadi family home in the Emirati neighbourhood, west of Khan Yunis, at approximately 9:10 AM on Monday, 23rd October 2023.

Quds News Network (@qudsn), along with several other sources on social media, reported that the six injuries arrived at Nasser Hospital for treatment. According to @Alaqsavoice_Brk, the injuries were minor.

The images shared by Twitter/X user @Yemeni_monadel showed a small girl dressed in a red T-shirt lying on a hospital bed with a severe head injury, and her T-shirt was soaked with blood.

Mohammad Abu Rukbeh, a senior Gaza field researcher for Defense for Children International  Palestine (DCIP), was eating breakfast with his family in a nearby house when the strike occurred 15 meters away from his location. He recounted:

I was frightened and found the window glass shattered over my head as if I had opened a water faucet, filled not with water, but with broken glass from the window. I did not know what to do and did not even think to lift my head. I waited for the glass shards to stop falling over my head, still alive. After a few seconds, the glass stopped falling, and I raised my head to check on my wife, children, my brother Sayed, and his family, ensuring they were unharmed by the glass that filled the living room, bedrooms, and every corner of the house. Thank god, nobody was harmed.”

He witnessed ambulances transporting the injured away from the Abdul Hadi family home and described a deep crater in the street outside 15-20 meters deep. Mohammad also reported that the strike caused damage to the local water supply and sewerage system, adding that “since that day, water has not reached our area, and we are now trying to minimize water usage as much as possible.”

While the majority of sources identified the location as the Emirati neighbourhood, DCIP referred to the location as the Baraaq neighborhood.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike 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 09:10:00 local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Water station
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

    Source: Nessid1
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Emirati neighbourhood (الحي الإماراتي) of Khan Younis (خان يونس), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.360978, 34.295816. 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
    Water station
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0488

Incident date

October 22, 2023

Location

منزل عائلة أبو طاقة في منطقة الشهداء غرب مخيم جبالي, Al-Shuhada area, west of the Jabalia camp, Gaza Strip, Central Gaza Strip, the Gaza Strip

Airwars assessment

Shortly before 8:00 PM on Monday, October 23rd, 2023, an Israeli aircraft allegedly bombed the Abu Taqiyya family home located in the Al-Shuhada area, west of the Jabalia camp, killing at least one civilian, paramedic Jihad Abu Taqiyya, and injuring four of his children: Esraa, Mariam, Muhammed, and Abood.

Shehab Agency was the first to report on the incident, sharing images of the rescue effort amidst the rubble around the severely damaged building. Safa News quoted the Ministry of the Interior in Gaza saying that a number of killed and wounded were recovered.

Several news sources, including Al Jazeera, reported that several injured civilians were recovered from under the rubble and shared images of the house that appeared  destroyed. According to Quds News, there were still wounded under the rubble the morning following the alleged attack. Facebook user Mohammed Ahmad posted several videos where many neighbors can be seen taking part in the rescue efforts on site.

@ShehabAgency and Watan reported the death of Jihad Abu Taqiyya on October 31st as a result of the injuries sustained in the bombing.

Umm Al-Abd Asma, Jihad’s wife, mourned her husband’s death in a deeply felt Facebook post, where she also described her experience on the night of the alleged strike: “We were sitting safely with our children in our homes. We found the house falling on us and was destroyed and turned into ashes. The house that I lived in for only two years after 16 years of torment, poverty, hunger, and deprivation.”

She also shared details about the severe injuries of her children: “My daughter, Israa, had her leg amputated, my son Muhammad, his legs are platinum. Maryam still has not recovered from the operations. She came back and injured her legs, and every day she sleeps and wakes up screaming in pain😭.”

A few days later she shared a video of her very young injured child on another post, where she wrote: “My son was in intensive care in Al-Shifa [hospital] for 13 days, and they took him out when they stormed Al-Shifa, and then they transferred him to Al-Rantisi [hospital], and Al-Rantisi was destroyed, while I and my son were there. He and I miraculously got out, and then I strayed from there to the Indonesian [hospital], and they also stormed the Indonesian, and we got out miraculously, and we were transferred to Khan Yunis, Nasser Hospital, and the situation was very difficult, all night long, with fire belts and terrible bombing.

Airwars was not able to reconcile Jihad Abu Taqiyya’s name with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of names, released October 26th 2023.

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 7:56 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (5)

Jihad Abu Taqiya, جهاد ابو طاقية
Adult male killed
Esraa Abu Taqiya اسراء
Child female injured
Mariam Abu Taqiya ,مريم
Child female injured
Muhammed Abu Taqiya محمد
Child male injured
Abood Abu Taqiya , عبود
Child male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (37) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

    Source: Youssef bin Mustafa Al-Buhaisi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Youssef bin Mustafa Al-Buhaisi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Youssef bin Mustafa Al-Buhaisi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Youssef bin Mustafa Al-Buhaisi
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Ahmed Saleha
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    Source: Al-Liddawi family gathering
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    Source: Al-Liddawi family gathering
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    Source: Al-Liddawi family gathering
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    Source: Al-Liddawi family gathering
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    Source: Al-Liddawi family gathering
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    Source: Al-Liddawi family gathering
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Lina Ziad Ashour
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    Source: Shatha Atallah
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    Source: Shatha Atallah
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    Source: Umm Abdullah Othman
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    Source: Umm Abdullah Othman
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    Source: Islam Al-Lidawi
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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
    1 – 2
  • (1 healthcare_personnel)
  • Civilians reported injured
    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 (25) [ collapse]

Incident Code

ISPT0457

Incident date

October 22, 2023

Location

خربة العدس, Khirbet Al Adas, Rafah, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.286310, 34.271887 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three members of the Dhahir family were killed and six others were injured by an alleged Israeli strike on their home in the Khirbet al-Adas area in the north of Rafah city, on Sunday, October 22, 2023: father Sami Abdel Khalil Dhahir, his son 18-year-old Khalil Sami Dhahir, as well as 33-year-old Mutair Abdel Salam Dhahir, who was an imam in Al-Amin Muhammad Mosque, were killed.

According to Siham-Haifa Daoud, the strike occurred between the hours of 1 and 7am; two victims were initially reported killed and others remained missing under the rubble. @ShehabAgency initially alleged that there were “six injuries, two of them very serious”, while journalist Adel Zourub reported that there were dozens of injuries, and the number or details of surviving injured persons has not been identified by other sources. A number of victims were taken to Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital.

Mutair Abdel Salam Dhahir was remembered by Taher Al-Nahal in a heartfelt post on Facebook as his “brother, friend, and companion who has memorised the Book of God, the imam of the al-Amin Muhammad Mosque in Khirbet al-Adas, the owner of a kind soul and a beautiful smile.”

Others also took to social media to mourn the victims, including Amir Dhahir, cousin to Mutair and Sami, who posted a picture of Mutair proudly smiling and holding up a certificate, as well as neighbour Muhammad Hassan Abu Eyada and the Dhahir Family Forum, who posted images of the three men from when they were alive. The news agency Al Arabiya posted images of a funeral on Facebook, which was described as the funeral of the victims of three strikes, including the bombing of the Dhahir family home.

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

The identities of Khalil Sami Dhahir and Mutair Abdel Salam Dhahir have been reconciled with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities published on October 26, 2023. Sami Abdel Khalil Dhahir’s name could not be reconciled.

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 between 1:00 am and 7:00 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Sami Abdel Khalil Dhair سامي عبد الخليل ضهير
Adult male killed
Khalil Sami Dhair خليل سامي ضهير
18 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 421166695
Mutair Abdel Salam Dhahir مطير عبد السلام ضهير
33 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 802695486

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

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

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

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

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

    Source: Muhammad Hassan Abu Eyada
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Muhammad Hassan Abu Eyada
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Muhammad Hassan Abu Eyada

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Khirbat Al Adas (خربة العدس) area, north of the city of Rafah (رفح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.286310, 34.271887. 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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Residential building
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    6
  • 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]