Israel and Gaza 2021
In the fourth major combat operation since 2008, Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fought a short but devastating conflict from May 10th to 20th 2021. Palestinian armed factions in Gaza fired more than 4,300 rockets at Israel, breaking through Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ defence systems and killing civilians in residential areas. Israeli forces bombarded Gaza with a large-scale aerial assault, levelling residential buildings and killing hundreds of civilians.
Airwars documented all allegations of civilian harm from both Palestinian militants and Israel Defense Forces, and produced a major report analysing the impact of explosive weapons use on civilians.
Image:
A Palestinian child plays with his mobile device on the rubble of his house, which was destroyed by alleged Israeli aircraft on May 26th 2021. Image taken in the Beit Lahia area in the northern Gaza Strip, by photographer Mohamed Zaanoun.
165 incidents
Incident Date
20 May 2021
Incident Code
M21ISPT130
Location
Ma’an neighborhood, Khan Younis, Khan Younis, Palestinian territories
حي معان ,خان يونس
Between three and four civilians, including two children, were injured when an unexploded missile landed in a home east of Ma’an on May 20, 2021. According to Al Mezan, Israeli missiles struck the home of brothers Muhammad and Munis Muhareb, in the customs police area east of Ma’an. However, the missile did not explode and …
Summary
Published
20 May 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported injured
3 – 4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
20 May 2021
Incident Code
M21ISPT129
Location
Al Mughayir House, Rafah, Rafah, Palestinian territories
بيت المغير, رفح
Between three and six people were reportedly injured as a result of alleged Israeli airstrikes on a house said to belong to Al-Mughayer family in Shaboura refugee camp, Rafah, Gaza on May 20 2021. A tweet from @AqsaTVChannel put the number of injuries at three while Palestinian Refugees Portal reported that six casualties were rescued …
Summary
Published
20 May 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported injured
3 – 6
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
20 May 2021
Incident Code
M21ISPT128
Location
Izbat Beit Hanoun, North Gaza, Palestinian territories
عزبة بيت حانون
An Israeli airstrike targeted the home of the Abu Jared family in Beit Hanoun, injuring up to six civilians according to multiple sources. Several sources reported that of the six civilians injured, one was in a serious condition. This seriously injured male victim was named by multiple sources as 69 year old Ali Khalil Abu …
Summary
Published
20 May 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
3 – 6
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
20 May 2021
Incident Code
M21ISPT123
Location
House for the Aslaim family in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, Gaza, Palestinian territories
منزل عائلة اسليم بحي الصبرة
As many as seven civilians, including five children, were reported injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza city, on May 20th 2021, according to local reports. Al Haq reported, at approximately 6:00 am Israeli aircraft targeted the fifth-floor apartment of Hazem Muhammad Antar Aslam (spelled Asleem and Saleem in other …
Summary
Published
20 May 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported injured
5 – 7
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
20 May 2021
Incident Code
M21ISPT127
Location
Al Saftawi, North Gaza, Palestinian territories
الصفطاوي
On May 20th, 2021, two civilians were reported killed by an Israeli airstrike on a car in the al-Saftawi area, west of Jabalia camp in the Northern Gaza Strip. Identified as Suhaib Al-Kahlout and Muyasara Al-Aarer , both were on al-Saftawi street, a commercial thoroughfare in Gaza City. In addition, Al-Monitor reports that the airstrikes …
Summary
Published
20 May 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
Incident Date
20 May 2021
Incident Code
M21ISPT126
Location
Jabalia, North Gaza, Palestinian territories
جباليا
On May 20th, 2021, at approximately 2:05 AM between four to nine civilians, including three women and one child were injured as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Jabaliya refugee camp. No names were reported. Two missiles were reported to have been fired at the main street connecting Block 7 and Block 9 of …
Summary
Published
20 May 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported injured
4 – 8
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Actor
Israeli Military
24 Nov, 2022
Visualisation
Palestinian territories
Mapping urban warfare: Gaza 2021
Visualising Gaza in the 11 day conflict in May 2021
27 Sept, 2022
Visualisation
Palestinian territories
Civilian Casualties in Gaza May 2021
Mapping civilian casualties during the May 2021 war
27 Sept, 2022
Visualisation
Palestinian territories
Israeli Military in the Gaza Strip May 2021 Casualty Map
Mapping instances of civilian harm
6 May, 2022
Update
Israel, Palestinian territories
Airwars/Guardian win Amnesty Media Award
Airwars and The Guardian have won a prestigious Amnesty Media Award for their joint investigation into Israel’s striking of residential towers in Gaza. The article, Countdown to the Airstrike , won in the Best Use of Digital Media category. The article tells the story of the destruction a single tower in Gaza through their memories …
8 Dec, 2021
Policy, Report
“Why did they bomb us?” Urban civilian harm in Gaza, Syria and Israel from explosive weapons use
‘ Why did they bomb us?’ Urban civilian harm in Gaza, Syria and Israel from explosive weapons use ‘ – which is published in Arabic, Hebrew and English – provides the first comparative analysis of two very different Israeli military campaigns. Applying the same open source monitoring methodology Airwars uses to track civilian harm caused …
28 Jul, 2021
Investigations
Israel, Palestinian territories
Countdown to the airstrike: the moment Israeli forces hit al-Jalaa tower, Gaza
What would you do if you had minutes to leave your home forever? Residents of a Gaza apartment block recall the frantic moments before it turned to rubble