On October 7th 2023, Hamas militants breached the heavily-fortified fence separating Israel and the Gaza Strip, attacking numerous towns and villages inside Israel. More than 1,000 civilians in Israel were reported killed, sparking the largest war in the territory for decades. Israel dropped 6,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip in the first week alone, with thousands of civilians reportedly killed.
Despite the scale of civilian harm, reliable information on specific harm incidents in Gaza has been sparse. Many Palestinian journalists and human rights workers have fled their homes, while international journalists have been unable to enter the territory. Online, disinformation has flourished.
This resource presents Airwars’ documentation of civilian harm allegations. It is an expedited project, with incidents uploaded as soon as research is completed. Incidents may not be posted chronologically, as research lengths vary. Overall casualty estimates will not be initially published. Airwars’ assessments capture all available open-source information and will be adjusted if additional information emerges. More details on our methodology page.
The initial focus is on explosive weapons use in Gaza, including allegations of both Israeli airstrikes and harm caused by Palestinian militants. Hebrew-language reporting of civilian casualties inside Israel from militant attacks will also be compiled.
