On October 14th, 2023, Counselor Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar, was killed alongside 15 family members, including three women and ten children, were killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike on his residential home in the Al-Hawa neighborhood in the southwest of Gaza City. Most sources agree that the home of the deceased was “directly” bombed by the Israeli military.

Safa news agency reported that Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar, a lawyer and member of the Board of Directors of the National Authority for Documentation and Prosecution of Occupation Crimes, was killed alongside his parents, his family and that of his brother’s family in the alleged airstrike. The grandparents of the family, 74 year old Fahmi Muhammed Al Najjar and 74 year old Fatima Khalil Al Najjar, were killed alongside their two sons and wives, 41 year old Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar and his wife 34 year old Haneen Al Najjar, and 36 year old Firas Fahmi Al-Najjar and his wife 30 year old Samah Al Najjar, and their grandchildren: Muhammad’s six children Fahmi Mohammed Al Najjar, 14 year old Omar Mohammed Al Najjar, 13 year old Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Najjar, 4 year old Yousef Mohammed Al Najjar, 3 year old Anas Mohammed Al Najjar, and 5 year old Fatima Mohammed Al Najjar; Firas’ four children 5 year old Yaman Firas Al Najjar, 7 year old Obaida Firas Al Najjar, 10 year old Fatima Firas Al Najjar, 3 year old Sara Firas Al Najjar.

Following the incident, colleagues and family members have paid tributes online. Muhammad Abu Sharab, the nephew of counselor Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar, acknowledged the death of his uncle in a Facebook post that also alleged that the airstrike had killed all family members inside the home of Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar.

Dr. Ramy Abdu, a colleague of the deceased, posted on Facebook following the alleged airstrike. He paid tribute to his colleague Judge Habib Fahmi Al-Najjar (likely referring to the grandfather Fahmi Al-Najjar), Judge Fatima Khalil Al-Najjar (Al-Makhalati), and the heads of the lawyers’ bloc, their sons Muhammad Fahmi Al-Najjar and Firas Fahmi Al-Najjar, who were also killed during the incident. The Palestinian Bar Association Gaza also identified the grandfather of the family as “Counselor Judge Fahmi Al-Najjar”. At the time of his post, Dr Abdu reported that civil defense crews were still trying to recover the victims of the alleged airstrike.

These tributes often provide an insight into the personality of those killed. Dr Ola El-Najjar, the son of Judge Fahmi Muhammad al-Najjar, described his father as a man that embodied “compassion and generosity” and his mother – Fatima Khalil Al-Najjar – as a woman that “combined gentleness, tenderness, and love” for her children and grandchildren.

The post of Dr Ola El-Najjar provides insight into the family of the deceased. His brother, Muhammad Fahmy Al-Najjar and his sister-in-law Haneen Al-Najjar were killed alongside their six children during the incident. Muhammad was described as “the caring brother who is dutiful to his parents and sisters, and companion to his wife, known for his intense love for his children, his mercy toward those near and far, and his generosity with everyone, and my advisor in all my steps” and his wife Haneen as “a kind and generous person who had memorized the Qur’an”. Dr. Ola also described Fatima as named after her grandmother “so that she would remain Fatima in his eyes and heart”, and Yousef “with his beauty, who loved my daughter Shoshu and called her (Aunty Shoshu)”.

It is also revealed that his other brother, Firas Fahmy Al-Najjar and his wife Samah Al-Najjar, who were both engineers, were killed alongside their four children during the bombing. Dr Ola described his other brother Firas as “the beloved, close friend, righteous companion, and intelligent, sharp mind” and his wife Samah as “the wise engineer… and a girl of principles”. Their children were described as Fatima who “is similar to her mother in character”, Obaida “the beloved son of the beloved, with his white face that blushes at the slightest praise”, Yaman who would always hug his son Muhammad because of their love for football.

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

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