An alleged Israeli airstrike on the morning of November 4, 2023, killed at least 11 individuals and wounded at least one other when the Hamad family home was struck in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, in Al-Zahraa, Gaza.
Marwan Mahmoud Hamad, Mayor of Al-Zahraa, his wife Neveen Wael al-Maghari, as well as their children, 13-year-old Mahmoud Marwan Mahmoud Hamad, 12-year-old Anas Marwan Mahmoud Hamad, eight-year-old Maria Marwan Mahmoud Hamad, and one-year-old Masa Marwan Mahmoud Hamad, were identified as fatalities. Marwan’s brother, Mohammed Mahmoud Hamad, was injured in the same attack. Additionally, Mohammed’s wife, her mother and father, and her and Mohammed’s children were also killed in the strike. While the identities of Marwan’s sister-in-law’s deceased children were not specified, the reference to the plural “children” by Al-Zahraa City has been interpreted as suggesting that at least two children were killed in the airstrike.
Initial reports by Palestinian news agencies such as Shehab Agency (@ShehabAgency), the Quds News Network (@qudsn), and Palestine Today (@PalTodayBRK), broke the news of the airstrike and fatalities within Marwan’s family shortly before 7:30 a.m. on the day. Following which, memorial posts on Facebook and X by users such as @Gaza_Shaheed and the Al-Zahraa City page confirmed the identities of the deceased within Marwan’s family.
A significant volume of condolences and memorials for Marwan and his family were published online. Many of the memorials featured a picture of Marwan sitting behind a desk in what appears to be his mayoral office, hands clasped in contemplation. Described as “righteous,” the “[embodiment of] the meaning of good morals,” and known for “charitable works and helping people,” Marwan was credited with working tirelessly to serve the city of Al-Zahraa, even in the days leading up to his death.
Other posts recounted memories of Marwan’s wife, Neveen, and his four children. In a post by Amal Mohammed Salem, Amal mourned the passing of his aunt Neveen, recalling how at the age of 13 she had taught other girls in Zahraa how to pronounce Quranic words and recite the Quran (Tajwid). The Al-Zahraa City Facebook page described Neveen as having been “well-mannered and polite,” while Marwan’s sons, Mahmoud and Anas, had been “dear to the hearts of everyone who [had known] them.” Pictures of the children showed the four of them smiling, with Maria making a “peace” sign at the camera, and little Masa perched on the boys’ arms. Other pictures, taken at what appear to have been a Ramadan celebration, depicted Mahmoud and Anas dressed stylishly, posing in the family’s front room.
The names of Marwan’s sister-in-law and her family members have not been found among sources.
Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the second ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on January 7, 2024.
Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.