On October 21, 2023, at least two people were killed by an alleged Israeli airstrike as they were riding a motorcycle in Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. The victims were named as Nidal Atwa Qudeih and Nael Raja Qudeih, both of whom were adult males. Some sources reported that a third person was killed or critically injured, but the name of that possible casualty is currently unknown.
That day, @AlArabyTV reported on Twitter/X, “Martyrs as [Israeli military] aircraft targeted a motorcycle in Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.” Other sources, including @RoyaNews and @newsnajah tweeted that two people were killed by an airstrike while on a motorcycle. @ShehabAgency reported that three people were killed in this incident. On Facebook, Al Hadath posted a video showing two covered bodies with the headline, “Nidal Atwa and Nael Raja Qudeih, both farmers from the town of Khuza’a, east of the city of Khan Yunis, went to inspect their crops. They are hard-working people who work to earn a living and supervise lands planted with tomatoes and vegetables. The [Israeli] army killed them without mercy.”
Numerous mourners shared their grief online following the killings. On Facebook, Hmooda Abo Ali shared smiling photos of the two men who were killed, writing “What a heartache. My cousins are martyrs. There is no power but from God Almighty. Martyr Nael Raja Qudeih [and] Nidal Atwa Qudeih (Denino). May God have mercy on you.” Another Facebook user, Muhammad Abu Rida, shared a portrait of one of the men as well as a photo of the two bodies covered in white sheets as a crowd of mourners gathers in prayer behind them. The caption of this post reads “The rise of the two young sons of our town, Nael Raja Odeh Qudeih and Nidal Atwa Qudeih “Denino”, in a targeting in the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis.” In a post by Mohammed Qudeih, which included a video showing a large funeral procession with a crowd carrying the two shrouded bodies, the caption states, “The rise of the martyr Nael Raja Qudeih, The martyr Nidal Atouh Qudeih, May God have mercy on you and let you enter His spacious gardens. We belong to God and to Him we shall return.”
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike 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.