During the morning of Monday 30th October 2023, an alleged Israeli missile attack killed at least 30 civilians, including at least 13 children and six women, and injured eight people, including at least four children. The strike hit the Fatayer family home in Al-Zawaida in the Deir al-Balah governorate.

Those killed were from the Sarsak family and the Fatayer family.

58-year-old Rasmi Hussein Fatayer was killed with three of his children. His sons, 25-year-old Hussein Rasmi Fatayer and 17-year-old Iyad Rasmi Fatayer, and daughter 19-year-old Yasmine Rasmi Fatayer were killed; his other son, Muhammad Rasmi Fatayer, was injured.

On Facebook, friend Ibrahim Abu Ghaith attached the last photo of Rasmi taken before his death where he appears to be working at a power generator. This photograph was shared along with a picture of his body bag, tagged with his name. A commemorative post on Facebook by Abu Nagham remembered Rasmi, his “brother, friend, and colleague,” as someone who “served the city and the camp with your spirit.” Several photographs were included of the two men, smiling at the camera.

From another branch of the family, Rasmi’s brother 46-year-old Abdel-Al Hussein Fatayer was killed with five of his children: 21-year-old Ahmed Abdel-Al Fatayer, 19-year-old Hossam Abdel-Al Fatayer, 4-year-old Jiwan Abdel-Al Fatayer, 17-year-old Naijjar Abdel-Al Fatayer and 11-year-old Jana Abdel-Al Fatayer. His daughter, Ayat Abdel-Al Fatayer, was injured. Facebook user Abu al-Saeed Fatayer reported that Ahmed and Hossam were in the “intensive care unit.” Based on their inclusion in lists of deaths, they died from injuries sustained in the alleged strike.

40-year-old Ahmed Al-Sayed Fatayer was killed with his children: 2-year-old Sanad Ahmed Fatayer, 7-year-old Maraya Ahmed Fatayer and Ibtisam Ahmed Fatayer. Ahmed’s son, Adam Ahmed Fatayer, was injured. According to Facebook user Mohamed Mohamed Qanawi Fatayer, Adam was “seriously injured.”

From another branch of the Fatayer family, 11-year-old Abeer Shadi Fatayer was killed, as was their sibling 18-year-old Muhammad Shadi Fatayer. Muhammad’s son, Shadi Muhammad Fatayer, was injured, as were relatives Nader Shadi Fatayer and Ibrahim Shadi Fatayer. 4-year-old Youssef Shadi Fatayer, a sibling of Nader and Ibrahim, was also killed.

Others killed from the Fatayer family include 46-year-old Aisha Mohammad Fatayer, Salsabil Nasser Fatayer, Maryam Atef Fatayer and 40-year-old Samir Shaaban Fatayer. Mukhles Salem Fatayer was killed with 36-year-old Hanan Kamal Fatayer. 23-year-old Israa Bassam Fatayer was killed, while Sameh Jihad Fatayer and Mervat Muhammad Fatayer were injured. Mervat was brought to the intensive care unit.

Members of the Sarsak family were killed as they sheltered in the Fatayer home after displacement: 49-year-old Siham Hussein Al-Sarsak (Umm Ayser) was killed with her daughters, 17-year-old Souad Iyad Khalil Sarsak and 21-year-old Nawal Iyad Khalil Sarsak, and Souad and Nawal’s nieces four-year-old Salma Maysara Iyad Sarsak, five-year-old Tamer Maysara Iyad Sarsak, and seven-year-old Iyad Maysara Iyad Sarsak.

Friend Rawaa Hussein shared a condolence message on Facebook, where she asked that “god have mercy” on those killed. With the death of Nawal, “a bride [was] taken to heaven, accompanied by her mother, our beloved Umm Ayser, and her sister Souad.” Rawaa wrote that her “heart aches” for the loss. Rawaa shared photos of the family, including a photograph of three young children (presumably Salma, Tamer and Iyad) smiling and wearing sunglasses. Another photo shows a young woman – likely Souad or Nawal – smiling into the camera.

Nawal’s husband, Safwat al-Sarsak posted a memorial on Facebook, describing Nawal as the “apple of my eye, the joy of my heart, and my beloved.” Nawal was frightened of being killed; Safwat wrote that she had wanted “to be martyred together.”

Reports detailing civilian casualties initially assumed lower ranges. The Shehab Agency first shared a message from the Interior Ministry of Gaza stating that, at the time, 11 civilians were killed with a “number” wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the home of the Fatayer family. This was the lowest death toll announced and simultaneously confirmed by Anadolu Agency. Al Jazeera Mubasher shared a video from above showing 17 people from the Fatayer family being buried in a mass grave in the Deir al-Balah cemetery. The death toll rose after searches under the rubble uncovered several more dead, raising the number to 17. Final reports would mention 31 deaths, and eight injuries, ranging in severity.

Photographs shared by the Wafa News Agency showed the immense destruction left by the strike, including charred walls and collapsed floors.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health list of fatalities in Gaza released July 24th 2024.