On the 22nd of October, 2023, at least 24 civilians, including a number of women and children, were killed, and at least 27 others, including at least four children, were injured when an alleged Israeli bombardment hit two houses: that of the Qadous family and that of the Abu Saada family in the Al Ternis area in the middle of the Jabalia refugee camp, north of the Gaza Strip. Victims included 20 members of the Qadous family across three generations and at least four members of the Al-Derin Family.
The patriarch of the Qadous family, Omar Hashem Qadous was killed with his wife, Ikram Qadous, and several of their children. A son, Muhammad Omar Qadous, was killed, as were three daughters: Amal Omar Qadous, 36-year old Tahani Omar Qadous al-Ajrami, and 40-year old Hanan Omar Qadous Haboub.
Muhammad’s wife, Maysaa Qadous Shalayil, was also killed, as were their two sons, 8-year old Fouad Muhammad Qadous and Abdul Hakim Muhammad Qadous.
Hanan was killed with her two sons: 13-year old Samer Rabie Haboub and 10-year old Abdullah Rabie Haboub.
Amal’s daughter, three-year old Malak Ismail Haboub, was also killed.
Tahani’s 15-year old son, Sarah al-Ajrami, was killed with her.
Another family member, Ahmed Qadous, was killed, as were several of Omar and Ikram’s grandchildren: 20-year old Abdullah al-Zinati was killed, as were grandsons Muhammad and Hassan. Marya, Tayma, and Dina, their three granddaughters, were killed as well.
Along with members of the Qadous family, civilians from the al-Derini family were also killed. Um Nidal al-Derini was killed, as was her daughter-in-law Hala Kassab al-Derini, and granddaughter, one-year old Nour Ahmed al-Derini. Another family member, Yazan Nidal al-Derini was also killed.
Lower initial death tolls were reported in the immediate aftermath of the strike. Photos shared on social media depict ambulance and civil defence crews on-site rushing the dead and the wounded to the Indonesian Hospital for treatment. A young boy can be seen crying while receiving medical attention, and multiple other images showcase children in tears. Another image shows a confused-looking man gesturing while a doctor tends to a wound on his head. A very graphic photograph shared by Facebook user Medhat Muhammad shows a medic carrying a young girl into hospital; limp in his arms, her face and hair are completely bloodied. Images of the deceased were also included in the post: one shows the same girl laying on a bed next to a young boy, whose right arm had been severed. Another image, shared by user “Meet Basmala Muhammad”, showed a young boy who had lost both his legs in the strike.
Confusion on the ground led to initial disparity in casualty figures. Shehab Agency and Al-Rased News initially reported 11 deaths and 27 injuries. East Now later reported at least 18 deaths and dozens of injuries. Friends and family on Social Media subsequently identified dead loved ones, bringing the casualties to at least 24. Facebook user Mahammad al-Madhoud reported a total of 30 deaths but this has not yet been verified elsewhere.
Friends and family wrote heartfelt messages to their loved ones on social media. Facebook user “Alaa or Moaz” praised Maysaa Shalayil for her work memorising the Quran, and expressed hope that she and her family would be honoured by God “with the highest paradise.”
Ezzedine Zaquote shared a photo of Ahmed Qadous, smiling at the camera in a white polo and wrote: “Good luck, my dear. This is how you followed your friend, Muhammad Arouq. God willing, you will be happy together in Paradise, my love. May God bless you. I hope you will be with me, my eyes. Martyr Ahmed Qadous.”
Facebook user Israa shared a video of a man on his knees weeping as he rocked a young baby in his arms. The child, identified as Nour al-Darini, can be seen with dust from the strike and blood clearly visible on her head. A post from Facebook user Kareem El-Meligy identified Nour as one year old. She had been born, the post alleged, on October 23rd, 2022, making her exactly a year old at her time of death.
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 a belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to Israeli forces.