In the early hours of November 21, 2023, at least 44 members of the same family were killed, and at least four were injured, in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Al-Hajj family home in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip. At least 16 of those killed were children, as were two of the injured. Many of the victims had sought shelter at the Al-Hajj residence after fleeing Israeli bombardment in northern Gaza.
Around dawn on November 21, Shehab Agency reported (via Twitter/X) that 15 people had been killed “when the house of Dr. Abdul-Azim Al-Hajj was targeted in the Nuseirat camp,” and stated that “there are a large number under the rubble.” Various sources, such as Mahmoud Abu Zanada Media Platform, Journalist Ahmed al-Amoudi, Official journalist Adel Zaarab, Watan News and Hani Alshaer posted the same information on Facebook. A few hours later, Fajer TV, citing a Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson, reported that 17 people had been killed in the strike.
Around mid-day, Al Jazeera - Palestine published a video on Facebook, featuring one of its correspondents - dressed in a ‘Press’ helmet and bulletproof vest - reporting from the site of the alleged Israeli attack “in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.” According to the reporter,
“this is the rubble of a house destroyed by Israeli warplanes. It was the home of Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, an assistant undersecretary in the Palestinian Ministry of Health. This house was destroyed with its residents inside: Dr. Abdul Latif's family and neighbours who were sheltering with him after their homes were destroyed. More than sixty people were inside the house when Israeli warplanes bombed it, killing everyone inside, including children. Rescue teams and neighbours are trying to recover some of the bodies, especially those of the children who were on the upper floor.”
It would later become clear that Abdul Latif himself was not harmed in the incident. Speaking with the Al Jazeera correspondent, a family member noted that “my cousin's house was targeted moments before dawn prayers” and explained that “this house was home to a large number of people, mostly women and children.”
According to another man interviewed, “most of those present were displaced people. They were families from Gaza City's Al-Rimal and Al-Shati neighbourhoods - six families in addition to Al-Hajj's family, more than sixty people in total - who had fled to safer areas, considering Nuseirat to be a safe zone.” The clip also showed rescuers in plain clothes desperately digging through the rubble with their bare hands.
A video report and accompanying article by Al-Araby revealed that rescue efforts were severely compromised on the site due to “limited resources available to the civil defense teams and a lack of heavy lifting equipment.” According to Al-Araby’s correspondent at the scene, “there's damage to other houses in the camp, and the Civil Defense teams don't have the resources to remove the collapsed walls from this building and pull out the many people trapped under the rubble.”
The outlet spoke to “one of the residents of this building managed to escape,” a middle-aged man who seemed shaken but not visibly injured, who had many relatives in the building. He explained that “around 4:30 a.m., there were about fifty displaced people from northern Gaza who had sought refuge in this, believing it to be a safe place. It was targeted this morning, and they were all killed.” According to the resident, “we've only been able to identify two bodies so far. The Civil Defense doesn't have the resources, and the only bulldozer we have is out of fuel.”
Regarding the initial casualty figures, the man said “we were able to count approximately 14 of the injured and martyrs who arrived at Al-Aqsa Hospital. That means we're talking about more than thirty-five to forty people, young and old, including newborns [still under the rubble].” The man also explained that “this house was considered unlikely to be targeted, given that it belonged to a doctor and the assistant to the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health.”
The same day, Nabd News Agency posted three photos of Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj “bid[ding] farewell to his family members who were killed when Israeli forces bombed their home in the Nuseirat refugee camp at dawn today, Tuesday, November 21, 2023.” The photos showed Abdul Latif and other mourners and medical personnel gathered around a group of white body bags. In one of the photos, a stunned Abdul Latif (bald, clean-shaven, and dressed in black) receives a hug from another man wearing a black shirt. Al Hadath Palestine posted a video - possibly of the same scene - showing mourners gathered around a group of white body bags. At one point, a man wearing blue scrubs can be seen labelling the bags with a marker. The video’s caption described the event as a “farewell ceremony held by the medical staff at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for the family of their colleague, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, who were killed in a missile strike on their home in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.”
On November 22, multiple sources, including Facebook users Official Journalist Adel Zaarab, Alaa Abu Anas, Amnah Al Najjar, Abdul Karim and Gaza News shared a post about the strike on the residential building that “housed six displaced families: the Alayan family, the Abdul Rabbo family, the Hamlawi family, the Hussein family, the Balousha family, and the Al-Hajj family.” According to the post, “more than 90 people were inside the house. A woman and two children were pulled out alive, but the rest are dead under the rubble. We can see them with our own eyes, but we cannot retrieve them. We need machinery and equipment to do so. Therefore, we are making an urgent appeal to the Civil Defense teams and anyone who can help to come and assist us.”
A video posted by Facebook user ‘DrSarah ALmaqtari’ showed a young, injured boy on a stretcher in front of a hospital emergency room describing where his various family members had been located inside the Al-Hajj house at the time of the strike in order to facilitate rescue and retrieval operations. He said “Grandma Fadwa” and “Aunt Malak” were sleeping in his room and Muhammad and Dima were sleeping “in the room by the living room” (possibly the guest room). According to a video report by the UK’s Channel 4 broadcaster, the boy was Dima’s seven-year-old nephew, Abdul Rahman - presumably the same child mentioned by another source as the surviving “six-year-old grandson [of Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj and Aya Al-Hajj (Alayan)], Abdul Rahman.”
Multiple sources shared a gut-wrenching photo attributed to local journalist Motaz Azaiza showing at least five legs and feet of victims crushed under a concrete slab. Facebook user Fadi Awad posted a video of the same scene to the ‘Palestinian Roots- Finland Group.’ The clip begins with a person holding a damaged can of baby formula, with the limbs of the crushed victims visible in the background. The video then pans along the line of bodies, showing at least seven feet sticking out from the rubble. The caption says, “Children from the Al-Hajj family perished under the rubble of their destroyed home in Al-Nuseirat camp.”
Facebook user Roba Attallah also posted about people trapped under the rubble, writing, “Oh people of compassion, we implore you... We've heard a voice under the rubble of the attack on my mother's family (Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj's house in Nuseirat, near Abu Sarar roundabout). Whoever can reach it and dig with their bare hands, please help us. For my mother's sake, maybe it's one of my uncles. We beg you, go and search, help them find someone to lean on!”
Following the alleged Israeli strike, numerous mourners took to social media to express their grief.
On the afternoon of November 21, Rima Alhaj announced that “the home of my uncle, Dr. Abdul Latif Muhammad Al-Hajj, was bombed at dawn today in Nuseirat. It housed his family, the family of my aunt, Fadwa Muhammad Al-Hajj (Hussein), the family of my uncle Abdul Latif's wife, Aya Alayan [Al-Hajj], and other displaced families. Our martyrs are: Aunt Fadwa al-Hajj, her son, Muhammad Abdul Hakim Hussein, his wife, Dima Abdul Latif Hussein [al-Hajj], and their infant son, Abdul Hakim Muhammad Hussein, [Fadwa’s] daughter, Amani Abdul Hakim Hussein, her husband, Majd Abdul Latif al-Hajj, and their infant daughter, Sarah Majd al-Hajj, [Fadwa’s] daughter, Malak Abdul Hakim Hussein, [Fadwa’s] son, Ibrahim Abdul Hakim Hussein, Qassam (Omar) Abdul Latif al-Hajj, and a large number of displaced people, including my aunt Aya's parents and siblings. I don't know their exact names or how many there are so far.”
Eshraq Elhaj commemorated many of the Al-Hajj family members as well, mourning “my beautiful aunt, Fadwa al-Hajj (Um Imad), her virtuous son, Muhammad Abdul Hakim Hussein, his wife, the beautiful-spirited Dima Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, and their infant son, Abdul Hakim, who was not yet six months old. My virtuous and respected cousin, Majd Abdul Latif al-Hajj, his wife, my beautiful-spirited cousin, Amani Abdul Hakim Hussein, and their young daughter, Sarah. And the finest of young men: my cousin, Qassam Abdul Latif al-Hajj, my cousin, Ibrahim Abdul Hakim Hussein, and his sister, Malak Abdul Hakim Hussein. All of them are now in the care of the Most Merciful, following a brutal Israeli bombing of my uncle Dr. Abdul-Latif al-Hajj's house.” Relative Manar Elhaj also honoured many of the Al-Hajj family members on Facebook.
The World Health Organization (Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office) mourned the death of 29-year-old Dima Abdul Latif Mohammed al-Hajj, who “had been with WHO since December 2019 [where] she worked as a patient administrator at the Limb Reconstruction Centre, a critical part of the WHO Trauma and Emergency Team.”
In a Facebook post, the organization announced “with heavy hearts” that “Dima died today when her parents’ house in southern Gaza—where she had evacuated to from Gaza City—was bombed. She was tragically killed alongside her husband, their six-month old baby boy, and her two brothers. Reportedly, over 50 family and community members sheltering in the same house also died.”
According to the commemorative post, “Dima had a bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Earth Sciences from the Islamic University of Gaza, and continued to study and work on environmental issues and health. She was a master’s student at Glasgow University, Scotland, UK, as part of the Erasmus exchange program from 2018-2019. On Women’s Day 2022, Dima said in a WHO social media post that she was proud of her work because “it contributes to giving people hope and a new lease on life.”"
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territory said “she was a wonderful person with a radiant smile, cheerful, positive, respectful. She was a true team player. Her work was crucial, and she had been requested to take on even more responsibilities to support the Gaza suboffice and team. This is such a painful loss for all of us. We share our deepest condolences with her mother and father (a long-serving medical specialist in Gaza), her family, and her many friends.”
A few years after Dima’s death, her aunt, Sabreen Al-Ghoul, announced that a scholarship had been established at the University of Glasgow in the young woman’s honor for the purpose of supporting “Palestinian citizens who are living in or have been forced to leave Palestine for humanitarian reasons.” The post included two smiling photos of Dima.
Shortly after Dima’s death, the UK’s Channel 4 reported on the young woman’s story. Noting that “she was mourned, not only in Gaza, but also in Glasgow,” the outlet spoke with many who knew Dima during her time in Scotland and presented footage of a memorial service there, with various friends and loved ones paying tribute to her hard work and good character.
During the memorial, her cousin, Alaa Al-Hajj stood up and said “I lost one of my best friends and one of the purest [people] I knew in my life.” According to the report, Dima “spent a year studying environmental science in Scotland before returning home to Gaza to work for the World Health Organization to give back to her community.”
In an interview with the TV channel, Gerry O’Hare and Roseann Maguire, who served as Dima’s host parents during her time in Glasgow, described her as “very bubbly, very keen on her studies, very bright” and mentioned that Dima’s “English was fantastic. She was able to articulate very clearly to us why she was here and what she wanted to achieve.” Roseann also showed her final Whatsapp exchanges with Dima, in which Dima relayed that the situation in Gaza was very frightening and that she hoped her baby boy, Abood (of whom she sent some adorable smiling photos) would “live to see better days.” This was the last that Roseann heard from Dima.
Additional coverage by this outlet and others indicates that baby Abood’s official name was Abdul Hakim Muhammad Hussein. The report also noted that Dima and her husband had sought refuge in four consecutive locations, with the final shelter being the Al-Hajj home in Nuseirat Camp in southern Gaza, which they hoped would be safer, as it was located “south of the evacuation line [...] within the supposedly safe zone.” However, according to Channel 4’s international editor Lindsey Hilsum, “the house took a direct hit while they were sleeping [...] around 4:20 a.m. local time on November 21.” As a result, Dima, her husband Muhammad, five-month old Abdul Hakim Muhammad Hussein, and “at least 40 other people from the same extended family” were killed.
The Channel 4 report also followed Dima’s father, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, climbing over the rubble of his destroyed home. At one point, he finds a white baby bib decorated with a teddy bear and says it belonged to Abdul Hadim. He holds it up to his nose and smells it repeatedly, saying it still has a “baby smell.” As he looks out at the pile of debris, he says that “every part of the house was connected to a story of Dima.” Describing how the garden used to be “full of trees and flowers,” Abdul Latif states that “it seems that the Israelis don’t like anything beautiful in Gaza. They want to destroy any hope of life in Gaza.” Noting that some of the victims, including his teenage son, presumably Qassam, were still buried in the rubble, Abdul Latif says that his son was close to finishing secondary school and dreamed of studying abroad, possibly to become a doctor.
In the interview, Abdul Latif is emphatic that this was “a family home, not a hotbed of terrorists,” saying “I am a doctor. I am a surgeon. I’m working in the hospitals [...] my relatives in law were working in Israel [...] they have permits to enter Israel. As the Israelis said, “they are clear [security-wise].””
Facebook user Omaroov mourned the loss of Dima’s brother, Majd Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, calling it “strange how martyrdom seems to favour those with the most beautiful smiles and noblest character.” The bereaved also shared a charming photo of Majd with a subtle smile. Calling attention to the family’s many losses, Mohamed Faried Faried posted the same photo on Facebook and wrote that “Majd Al-Hajj was offering condolences yesterday for the death of his uncle and his uncle's family. Today, he, his wife, and his two sons were martyred. Life is shorter than we imagine. May God have mercy on his kind and cheerful face and grant him the highest Paradise.” In another heartbreaking post, Abdulraof Mahmoud shared a “selfie” of himself and Majd and wrote “Why did you leave us so early, my friend? We still had so much to plan together…”
During the evening on November 21, relative Sabreen Alghoul announced on Facebook the names of many of her family members who had been killed in the attack: “my mother, Zainab Mahmoud al-Ghoul, my father, Abdul Aziz Alayan, my brother, Mahmoud Alayan, his wife, Sally Shaheen Alayan, and their children: Zain (16 years old), Lubna (14 years old), Kinan (10 years old), and Sari (4 months old); my brother, Muhammad Alayan, and his children; Ezz El-Din, 14 years old; Lian, 13 years old; Adnan, 10 years old; Adam, 9 years old; my brother, Youssef Alayan [identified by Genocide in Gaza as 42]; my sister, Nisreen Abdel Aziz Alayan Abdel Rabbo, and her son, Issam Abdel Rabbo, 34 years old, with his three sons: Ismail, 10 years old; Muhammad, 7 years old; and Suwar, 2 years old; my nephew, Hussam Ismail Abdel Rabbo, 35 years old, and his son, Waseem, 6 years old; my niece, Israa Ismail Abdel Rabbo, 25 years old; my niece, Raghad Ismail Abdel Rabbo, 18 years old; my niece, Afnan, 24 years old; my niece, Misk, 15 years old; my sister, Jihan Alayan al-Hamlawi, her husband, Khaled al-Hamlawi, their son, Musa al-Hamlawi, 29 years old, and her daughter, Lina al-Hamlawi, 27 years old, with her two children, Lin, 6 years old, and Yahya, 4 years old; my nephew, Majd Abdel Latif al-Hajj, his wife, Amani al-Hajj, and their daughter, Sarah, 18 months old; my niece, Dima Abdel Latif al-Hajj, her husband, Muhammad al-Hajj, and their son, Abdel Hakim, 9 months old; my nephew, Qassam Abdel Latif al-Hajj 14 years old; Fadwa al-Hajj, mother of Amani and her children; Mahmoud Abdel Rabbo, nephew of my husband Ashraf al-Ghoul, who was martyred with his family; Wafaa al-Ghoul [identified by Genocide in Gaza as 60], wife of the martyr Adnan al-Ghoul, and mother of the martyrs Bilal and Muhammad al-Ghoul, and mother of Nour Adnan al-Ghoul, wife of my brother Muhammad, who was left alone after losing her four children and her husband Muhammad.” Sabreen added that “our martyrs are not numbers, they are individuals with names” and shared photo collages of many of her departed loved ones, many of whom were children.
Facebook user Rola Elghoul re-shared the same list of victims and wrote that “one of my relatives just lost her entire family—both her parents, her brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and even her great-grandchildren, as well as some cousins [...] These people had lives; they had wishes, dreams, and goals!” Relative Fares Al-Ghoul honoured many members of the Al-Ghoul and Abdel Rabbo families as well.
Genocide in Gaza posted a photo of teenage “martyr” Qassam Abdul Latif Muhammad Al-Hajj wearing a red football jersey decorated with the colors of the Palestinian flag and reported that the boy “and several other martyrs” were killed when “Israeli occupation forces targeted the home of the Abdul Latif Al-Hajj family in Nuseirat Camp, which was sheltering a number of displaced people, without prior warning.”
‘General Authority for Civil Affairs - Official Page’ wrote on Facebook that “with profound sorrow and grief, and with hearts resigned to God's will, the General Authority for Civil Affairs, represented by its Chairman, His Excellency Minister Hussein Al-Sheikh, and His Excellency Undersecretary Ayman Qandil, and all its employees, extends its deepest condolences to the Alayan family on the martyrdom of their son, our colleague at the Authority, Mahmoud Abdul Aziz Saleh Alayan, along with his wife, children, parents, and siblings, today, as a result of the barbaric aggression and bombing by the occupation forces of a residential tower in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip.” The account also shared a smiling photo of Mahmoud seated at his desk, wearing a light blue, collared shirt. Journalist Ahmed Qaddah shared the same photo of Mahmoud and announced his death and that of his family members.
Alian Ahmad posted a photo of himself and a middle-aged man laughing with an elderly man who had a walker. The Facebook user wrote, “The great man, Uncle Abdul Aziz Alayan Abu Mahmoud, his family, and his grandchildren are now in the care of the Most Merciful as martyrs. Praise be to God for what He has decreed for us.”
Dr. Alaa Abu Amer mourned the loss of Abdul Aziz and his family as well, writing, “I was deeply saddened by the martyrdom of my dear neighbor, Abdul Aziz Alayan (Abu Mahmoud), and his wife, Hajja Umm Mahmoud. I don't know who else from his family was martyred with him, as his granddaughter, Ruba Attallah, wrote that all members of her grandfather's family were martyred in a cowardly [Israeli] bombing of the home of her aunt's husband, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, in the Nuseirat refugee camp, after they had been displaced there from the Shati refugee camp.”
According to Alaa, “Hajj Abdul Aziz was a dear neighbour, a brother, and a friend to me, despite the age difference between us. We often sat together and talked in his orchard or at my rural home northwest of Beit Lahia about the homeland, the Nakba, displacement, and resilience. We had many meetings and conversations, all about our homeland. Muhammad and Mahmoud were among my dearest friends. I met them daily when I was in Gaza. They were among the best people I have ever known. My wife, my children, and I are overcome with immense pain at their loss [...] May you rest in eternal peace, Abu Mahmoud and Umm Mahmoud. Your memory will forever remain in our hearts. The loss of someone like you is truly profound.”
On November 22, Caritas Jerusalem posted a photo of Issam [Abdel Rabbo] and wrote that “last night, our hearts were heavy as we mourn the loss of Issam [Abdel Rabbo], a dedicated pharmacist at Caritas Jerusalem since 2019, stationed at the Gaza Health Center.” The account noted that while the young man was “originally from the Remal area in Gaza City, Issam had sought refuge in what was deemed a secure location, Nusriat in Wadi Gaza. At 35 years old, Issam, a widower and father of three, tragically lost his life, alongside his two sons, in a devastating bombardment. Miraculously, his 3-year-old daughter survived. The destruction extended beyond Issam's family; the same building housed numerous civilians, including his mother, sisters, and brother, all of whom perished. Other family members and residents remain trapped under the rubble.
The same day, Hussam Abdel Rabbo’s employer, Ooredoo Telecommunications, posted a photo of the young man posing in a suit and wrote that “with deep sorrow and grief, the Ooredoo family mourns the loss of their colleague, Hussam El-Din Abdel Rabbo, who was martyred yesterday along with several members of his family as a result of the aggression against the beloved Gaza Strip.”
On November 25, Sabreen Alghoul posted a photo of a man and two boys, all of whom were smiling, and mourned the loss of Zain Mahmoud Alayan, his father, Mahmoud, his mother, Sally Saadi Moussa, and his siblings, Lubna, Kinan, and Sari. Sabreen also mourned Qassam Abdul Latif Al-Hajj and said that his “mother, Aya Al-Hajj, wife of Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, was shot in the chest and survived.” Sabreen also mentioned that “Qassam and Zain were friends and brothers who chose to leave together. The bodies of Zain, Qassam, and Mahmoud are still under the rubble, waiting to be recovered.”
The next day, the Faculty of Arts at Birziet University honoured Sabreen’s niece, 14-year-old Lubna Mahmoud Alayan - sister of Zain - and her family, in a Facebook post, writing that “the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music at Birzeit University mourns the loss of its student, Lubna Mahmoud Alayan, a resident of Gaza City, who was martyred along with her family: her father, Mahmoud Alayan; her mother, Sally Shaheen Alayan; her brothers, Zain, Kinan, and Sari; and dozens of her relatives, in an Israeli airstrike that targeted her aunt and uncle's home in Nuseirat on Tuesday morning, November 21, 2023.”
According to the Conservatory, “Lubna Alayan was a violin student at the Gaza School of Music and one of the Conservatory's most distinguished students. She sang and played music to express joy and life, and she aspired for music to be an integral part of her future, representing her people, her city, and Palestine in Palestinian, Arab, and international orchestras.” Facebook user Siham-Haifa Daoud shared Lubna’s story a few months later, along with charming photos of the teenager smiling and playing the violin. According to Lubna’s aunt, Sabreen, many of her loved ones called her “Luna.” A video posted by the relative featured a montage of photos and videos from “Luna’s” social media, showing the everyday life of the teenager, such as school marks, pets, drawings, “selfies” with friends and so on.
On December 10, 2023, a few weeks after the strike, Sabreen al-Ghoul shared a smiling photo of Aya Alayan al-Hajj and another of Dr. Abdul Latif al-Hajj dressed professionally in a suit and tie, and posed the heartbreaking question (via Facebook): “Is there any greater pain than that of parents who suddenly lost their two sons, their eldest daughter, and their two infant grandchildren?” In the post, Sabreen honoured “My sister, Aya Alayan Al-Hajj, [who] holds a high-ranking position at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). She is always cheerful and brings joy to everyone around her.”
Sabreen also noted that “Her husband, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, a surgeon, is a truly wonderful person. He also possesses a gentle sense of humour and is a generous benefactor who uses his profession to treat countless patients free of charge.” Describing the lead-up to the strike, the post explains that “Aya and her husband opened their beautiful, spacious, and warm home, with its lush garden, to families displaced from Gaza City and the Al-Shati refugee camp. Aya didn't care about new sofas or luxurious carpets, nor did she impose any restrictions on those who lived there. Her home was a home for everyone, and it witnessed one of the most beautiful months of their lives during the war. Everyone grew closer, laughed together, and shared their fears amidst the constant shelling. They continued to support everyone, and everyone cooperated to provide for their needs during the war. They sent us many of their memories from that time. All their memories are accompanied by their laughter and jokes, which eased the atmosphere of war.”
However, the post then states that “Aya and Abdul Latif, well-known public figures, had their home bombed on Tuesday morning, November 21st, while everyone was asleep. Their lives were shattered when [someone in the Israeli military] made the decision to bomb their house and kill everyone inside.”
According to Sabreen, “They lost their eldest son, Majd, his wife, Amani, and their two-year-old daughter, Sarah. Their six-year-old grandson, Abdul Rahman, and their 14-day-old granddaughter, Aya, were seriously injured. Their daughter, Dima, was also killed, along with her husband, Muhammad, and their five-month-old son, Abdul Hakim. Her son, Qassam, was also killed. Qassam, the very soul of his parents, [would have turned] seventeen in ten days.” Finally, the relative prayed, “may God help you to endure the coming days, and may God keep you as a support, father, and mother to your two children, Lin and Lama, and also to your two grandchildren, Aboud and little Aya.”
Facebook account ‘House Of Elian - Stories That Survive,’ reported that Majd worked as a “devout and virtuous IT engineer [and] was martyred along with his wife, Amani (his cousin), and their daughter, Sarah. They left behind their eldest son, Abdul Rahman, and their infant daughter, Aya, who was only 14 days old at the time, in the care of his parents.
Facebook user Imad Abuaroos posted that “after targeting and killing his brother Abdul-Azim Al-Hajj "Abu Basel," the [Israeli military] targeted the home of Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj (a family friend [...]), and everyone in the house was martyred, including our beloved Majd Al-Hajj. The wife of the great martyr Adnan Al-Ghoul was also martyred in the bombing. Pain upon pain...Our Gaza is being annihilated.” Imad tagged Majd’s Facebook profile in the post. A photo on Majd’s profile appears to show the young man with his father, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, and two boys. The older child (standing on the right) is tagged as ‘Omar Alhaj’ and appears to be Qassam (Omar) Abdul Latif Al-Hajj.
Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj - tagged in Majd’s photo as ‘Abdullatif Alhaj’ - appears to have his own Facebook account. The ‘About’ section reveals a lengthy series of accomplishments as a medical professional, with studies in medicine and later surgery, more specifically, followed by work as a surgical resident, consultant surgeon, and then director general of two hospitals - first in Khan Yunis and then in Gaza City. On December 20, 2025, more than two years after the strike on his home, Abdul Latif posted a photo of Qassam (Omar) Abdul Latif Al-Hajj and wrote “Qassam Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, on the anniversary of your birth, beloved of my heart, soul of my soul, and dearest to my heart, we find solace in the pain of separation, knowing that you and your siblings are enjoying the bounty and vast mercy of the Most Merciful. Our meeting place will be Paradise, God willing.”
Shedding light on painful wartime realities, Facebook user Eman Mostafa wrote on January 1, 2024 that “in this brutal war, we have lost many loved ones. Due to the difficulty of receiving news, we were unaware of the martyrdom of many others. Yesterday, we learned of the martyrdom of our beloved Umm Bilal al-Ghoul, Wafaa al-Ghoul, wife of the martyred commander Adnan al-Ghoul and mother of the martyrs Bilal and Muhammad al-Ghoul. She passed away along with her grandchildren about a month ago in a barbaric and treacherous Israeli bombing.”
Eman described Wafaa as a “strong, patient woman,” and said that “with her radiant presence, [Wafaa] captivated you with her conversation and laughter despite all she had endured in her life. You never tire of her company; she is brimming with life.” Eman also described Wafaa as “a steadfast pillar behind her husband and sons,” saying that “this strong woman moved from place to place, supporting her husband with all the strength, determination, and courage she possessed. She was truly a model of loyalty.”
The post indicated that Wafaa’s husband had been a militant, writing that “from the very first week of their marriage, she sold her gold so that her husband could buy his first weapon to defend Palestine. Then their house in Al-Maghraqa became a workshop in every corner, from the production of fuel to the packaging and all the necessary materials. [...] I remember once we visited her at her home in Al-Maghraqa, and she was reminiscing about her life with her husband, Abu Bilal. Among the stories she cherished was how she helped her husband, Abu Bilal, may God have mercy on him, escape from the prisons of the oppressive regime. She smuggled a small saw inside a fish she had prepared for him. He spent three months cutting through the iron bars of the prison window until he was freed, to continue his path of resistance, which ended in martyrdom. And now, Wafaa, "Umm Bilal," has joined her husband and children on the same path.”
Although this anecdote may indicate participation in militancy on the part of Wafaa’s late husband and mentions that she “joined her husband and children on the same path [of resistance, which ended in martyrdom],” Airwars has not found any sources indicating that Wafaa was engaged in militant activity herself at the time of her death. Therefore, she has been counted as a civilian. Should evidence to the contrary become available, Airwars will update this assessment accordingly.
On February 9, 2024, Sabreen al-Ghoul shared a handful of photos of the young Zain Mahmoud Abdul Aziz Alayan, writing “Seventeen years ago, you came into our world to brighten our lives [...] You inherited your beauty from your parents; you are radiant and handsome, very quiet and reserved. You were a loving and obedient son to your parents, your grandmother, your grandfather, your uncles, your aunts, your maternal aunts, and your maternal uncle. You were a friend and brother to all the children in the family. You started high school this year and were planning your studies! You began asking about studying in Europe, which countries were best, and which languages you wanted to learn in addition to English! But, my dear child, this cruel world showed you no mercy and did not welcome you with open arms as you had hoped! A world that claims to uphold humanity, democracy, and human rights, but not just any human rights! Unfortunately, my child, you did not fit the standards of the Western world! They failed you, and they failed all the innocent children whom the enemy killed in cold blood, right under the noses of a world that claims to be humane! Sleep peacefully in the arms of your parents, Sally and Mahmoud, watched over by the eyes of your grandparents, uncles, aunts, and their children. Sleep in eternal paradise, where we will meet again.”
According to Sabreen, Zain “had many dreams and was so ambitious. He asked me many questions about Europe and the universities here! It was his dream to complete his studies abroad! But unfortunately, my boy, you weren't allowed to dream, you weren't even allowed to live, because in the Western world, you are worth nothing! Palestinians have no rights like others!”
On March 1, 2024, Imadeddin Hussein posted smiling photos of Muhammad Abdul Hakim Hussein wearing a green button-down shirt and of a teenage boy dressed in a suit, and prayed, “O God, forgive and have mercy, grant health and pardon to my martyred mother Fadwa, my father Abdul-Hakim, and my martyred siblings Amani and her husband Majd, Muhammad and his wife Dima, Malak, Ibrahim, and Qassam.”
On August 3, 2024, Sabreen Al-Ghoul honored Hussam Ismail Abdel Rabbo, calling him “the first grandson in our family” who “was a part of us and close in age to his maternal uncles.” She described him as “friendly, polite, witty, peaceful, and ambitious,” noting that “Hussam was all that and more. His hobby was electricity, just like his uncle Mohammed; he loved using a screwdriver and taking things apart. He studied engineering and worked at Ooredoo Telecommunications. He was always the first to call me on every occasion, whether it was holidays or special events. He was the best at making knafeh, and he and Issam often treated us to it. He loved organizing picnics at the orchard with his uncles and cousins. Oh, how beautiful the memories are with you.”
The commemorative post also included smiling photos of Hussam over the years, with one showing him as a little boy wearing a school bag, another of him as a teenager eating french fries, and a third photo of Hussam as an adult, posing for a “selfie” with a small child - perhaps one of his own sons.
On September 2, 2024, a Youtube video posted on the account of ‘Arab-London2020’ purported to show “a statement by Ms. Khitam Alayan, a Palestinian woman whose family lost 48 members in Gaza.” In the video, Khitam - a surviving sister of Aya Alayan Al-Hajj - spoke before a crowd and commemorated her deceased family members, explaining, “I drew strength from them. Let me tell you about my mother, father, and siblings.” In the speech, Khitam listed her relatives from the Alayan, Al-Hajj and Abdel Rabbo families, and provided further details about some of their professions, mentioning, for example, “My brother, Youssef, the nurse, who spent most of his time at the hospital treating the wounded until he was martyred.”
She also indicated that Hussam, the husband of her sister Nisreen, was an engineer and that Nisreen’s son, Issam, had worked as a pharmacist. Khitam also outlined the series of events that had led to her family members’ killing, saying that “My sister's children were in her house when it was bombed because my family was in Gaza City, and the Israelis ordered them to leave the area and head south, claiming it was safe there. And unfortunately, there was no safety. My sister, who was a director at UNRWA, and her husband, a doctor, were at the hospital, not at home.”
Khitam blamed the attack on “Netanyahu, who kills children and innocent people in front of the world” and emphasized that “My family was killed at 4:20 in the morning. They were asleep, civilians in their homes. And this massacre continues in front of the world, and no one is stopping it. Forty-eight members of my family, my memories, my beautiful past, and my shattered present—how can life go on? This is the question I always ask myself. I think this is fate, and people ask me if I can forgive, but I wonder how I can forgive someone who killed my family. These are forty-eight dreams, and a part of me. I will not forgive, and I will not pardon. I will pursue them in every corner and in every court.”
A few weeks later, on September 20, 2024, Sabreen al-Ghoul honored Musa al-Hamlawi on his birthday, asking “who doesn't know Musa? [...] Musa, the son we never had, was devoted not only to his parents, Jihan and Khaled Hamalawi, but also to his grandparents, uncles, and aunts... a friend and brother to all our children. He was a daily presence at my family's house, fulfilling their requests, going with them to the orchard and other outings. He loved his uncles, and they loved him; they treated him like a friend, a brother, and a son. They always inquired about him when he was away.” She went on to explain that “the persevering Musa studied journalism and worked in it briefly without pay—exploitation, I mean—and how many exploit young people... My beloved Musa Hamalawi, the groom whose wedding celebration we couldn't complete, but God chose you to be a groom in Paradise. Musa, a whole book wouldn't do you justice. I can't imagine my life without you, and even my children miss you terribly. Happy birthday, and may God reunite us with you.” She also shared smiling photos of Musa and other family members.
On May 2, 2025, Sabreen shared photos of Ezz El-Din Muhammad Abdul Aziz Alayan with his siblings and other family members, and wrote that “yesterday, my nephew Ezz El-Din turned sixteen. I couldn't congratulate him. May 1st is a special day in my family. We gather in the orchard, celebrating the renewal of life together, baking Palestinian msaf and coloring eggs. We celebrate Ezz's birthday with everyone present. Ezz was martyred along with all his brothers, his father Muhammad, his grandparents, and the rest of the family. Only his mother, Nour, survived. She suffered burns all over her body, but the greatest wound was to her soul, for they assassinated her along with them.” Sabreen described her nephew as “tall, handsome, and always smiling [...] a joker on his way to becoming a man his parents and we would be proud of—an educated athlete with the whole world ahead of him. But this is everyone's right, except for Palestinians.”
Shortly after, on May 11, 2025, Kholoud Khaled posted a video on Facebook featuring a slideshow of photos of her late family members to mark that “a year and a half has passed, and neither my mind nor my heart can comprehend your absence.”
On September 4, 2025, Sabreen honoured one of her late brothers, writing: “Today is your birthday, Youssef, you kind-hearted soul, as innocent as a child, you unforgettable laugh, you nurse who dedicated his life to serving others, and you father who left behind Abdul Aziz, Maya, and Eileen.” She called him “the ever-helpful nurse who refused to stay home even for a day, continuing to go to his work in Gaza even after being displaced to the south, to help the sick. Youssef continued working at the Eye Hospital until the very last moment, the day Salah al-Din Street was closed and the road was cut off. We miss your beautiful spirit, Youssef, your presence among us.” She shared a handful of heartwarming photos of Youssef, showing the man playing on the beach, posing humorously with sunglasses and a child’s ‘Minnie Mouse’ purse, smiling in a garden wearing business attire, and reclining on a couch looking relaxed. A few months later, on May 7, 2026, another loved one, Facebook user Abu Almajd Elyan, posted a smiling photo of Youssef with doves and a heavenly sky in the background and honoured the man as a “martyr.”
On October 11, 2025, Sabreen marked another special date for her family, writing that “today is one of those days—the birthday of Majd Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, grandson of the martyr Abdul Aziz Alayan and the martyr Zainab Al-Ghoul Alayan, and son of Mrs. Aya, a survivor of the bombing, whom God chose to remain and care for Majd Abdul Rahman's children and young Aya, who lost their parents in a single moment.” In the post, Sabreen called Majd “the kind, ever-smiling young man, the dutiful son, the caring brother, and the well-mannered grandson loved by all.” Sabreen shared a photo of Majd looking smartly dressed and holding a baby girl next to Abdul Latif Al-Hajj - dressed in a suit - and two younger boys, one of whom appears to be Qassam.
For the two-year anniversary of the deadly strike, loved ones Suheir Alayan, Umm Hussam, Lubna Elian, Aya Al-Hajj, Omaima Ebied, Khitam Alayan, Sabreen Al-Ghoul, Mahmoud Alayan, Yosef Alayan, Jihan Al Hamalawi, shared a letter (via the Facebook account ‘House Of Elian [Alayan]- Stories That Survive’) lamenting how “In a single blow, at precisely 4:20 AM, time ceased in a home once brimming with laughter and warmth. Forty-nine souls, flesh and blood, were transformed into a memory that weighs heavily on the heart, yet simultaneously lifts it up—lifts it up because they were unlike any other.”
They wrote, “We mourn our mother, Zainab… a woman who embodied the strength of mountains and the gentleness of a breeze. She championed the oppressed without flinching, spoke truth to power even when alone, stood firm with the unwavering resolve of a woman who knows her place, and her heart knew precisely when to embrace and when to give.” They also mounted their “father, Abdul Aziz… the boy who left Hirbiya at the age of ten, and toiled until he became a man who carried the world with a smile,” describing him as “self-made, tender-hearted, his tears readily flowing because they came from a pure heart. His face was radiant, he generously gave his money, his time, and his very soul, beloved wherever he went. His door was never closed to anyone in need, and his hand was never stingy with anyone, as if generosity were a natural part of his blood.”
The surviving family members also grieved the loss of their siblings, nieces and nephews, and other relatives: Mahmoud Abdul Rabbo and his family… and Fadwa Al-Hajj, sister of our brother-in-law Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, and her children… and Wafaa, wife of our martyred uncle Adnan Al-Ghoul.” In total, they wrote, “We mourn 49 moons who were our entire sky,” saying, “The loss of an entire family… is not merely the absence of individuals, but the collapse of an entire world. It is when laughter, like waves crashing down the sea, is extinguished in an instant, and the voices that brought life to the home fall silent [...] The loss of an entire family is like having the heart of the house ripped from its place, leaving the walls standing lifeless...It is a pain immeasurable, unhealed, yet carried in the heart as a sacred trust... the trust of their love, their memory, and the indelible mark they left within us.”
On April 16, 2026, Sabreen reposted a touching update about Aya Alayan Al-Hajj (“Big Aya”) and her infant granddaughter Aya (“Little Aya”), who both survived the attack on November 21, 2023, adding that the post (originally shared by Facebook user Mahmoud El Hissi) was about “My sister Aya with her granddaughter who is a day younger than my granddaughter.”
The original text explained that “Big Aya (hereinafter abbreviated as S Aya) is the grandmother of Little Aya (abbreviated as L Aya). L Aya was only 14 days old when the terrorist state of Israel and the silent world decided their fate. S Aya sat with about fifty other relatives, elderly grandparents, siblings, children and grandchildren and took shelter on the ground floor of the family's newly built villa. L Aya was then lying in her newly purchased stroller, sleeping. The sky over Gaza was full of war smoke, explosions and Israeli death machines. The extended Al Hajj - Alayan family had already decided at the beginning of the war in October 2023 to be together alive or dead. This view is quite common among Palestinians.”
According to the post, on the night of November 20 - 21, 2023,
“S Aya's husband, Abdul Latif Al-Hajj, chief physician at Shohada Al Aqsa Hospital in Dir Al Balah in Gaza, was called urgently. Israeli terror aircraft had just bombed an entire neighbourhood. Hundreds of people were killed and injured. Dr Abdullatif said goodbye to his wife, children and grandchildren and the other relatives to save lives. The families had just eaten. On his way out, he heard his wife say, "Take care and be careful habibi (meaning my darling)."
Dr. Abdul Latif had just arrived at a chaotic hospital filled with dead, mutilated and injured people and then he received the news that his house had also been bombed to pieces. Fifty people, mostly children and women, were killed. Few survived. Among the survivors were S Aya and L Aya. Grandma Aya was under tons of rubble. Granddaughter L Aya had been thrown from the third floor with her beautiful stroller about fifty meters away. She landed on the rubble to a neighboring house that had also been bombed to pieces. L Aya flew out sitting in her stroller almost like a pilot ejecting from his plane.
The miracle L Aya, not even 14 days old, landed on the rubble and hit her little head on an iron beam. She was seriously injured. Her father, mother and siblings, except for one brother, were killed in a flash. The second miracle, S Aya was dug out of the ruins after almost a day. She was very badly injured physically and mentally. She lost two sons and a daughter with children and grandchildren [...]
The miracles Aya and Aya were not only united by name and family ties but also share the same tragedy and difficult memories. S Aya had hardly seen her biological parents and siblings. Now barely three years old, she believes that her grandmother and grandfather are her parents.
The greatly reduced "new family", L Aya and her brother as well as grandmother Aya and grandfather Dr Abdullatif, severely traumatised, left Gaza in the hope of saving the little angel S Aya. They moved around to Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey to seek care for little Aya. She has already undergone several operations. Yesterday she underwent her latest operation in her mouth to be able to eat.”
The post included a photo of the two Aya’s, with the toddler, “L Aya” wearing adorable pigtails tied up with pink and orange pom-poms, and her grandmother, “S Aya” smiling and looking down at her lovingly.
On April 20, 2026, Facebook account ‘House Of Elian - Stories That Survive’ made a series of posts honouring various family members who had been killed in the November 21, 2023 strike.
One of the posts featured a photo of “Martyr Abdul Aziz Saleh Alayn and his wife Zainab Mahmoud Al-Ghoul” with Abdul Aziz wearing a kaffiyeh and Zainab holding his arm and smiling brightly. The caption described a family history of displacement, saying that “Hajj Abdul Aziz Alayan, my dear father, emigrated as a boy of ten, alone with his mother. My mother, Hajja Zainab Mahmoud Al-Ghoul, emigrated with her parents and uncles from the village of Hirbiya when she was three years old. They had eight daughters and three sons, five of whom were martyred with them.”
Another post mourned “Nasreen, the second daughter [of Abdul Aziz and Zainab] and wife of Dr. Ismail Abdel Rabbo, [who] was a pharmacy graduate and mother of nine children, a source of pride for her character, manners, and education. Six of her sons and three grandchildren were martyred alongside her.” It included a photo collage showing multiple generations of family members.
“Jihan, the fourth daughter of Haj Abdul Aziz,” was also honored as “a pillar of support even before her children were born. Her son, Musa, followed in her footsteps, being helpful and kind-hearted. We deeply miss the martyr, Khalid Musa Al-Hamlawi, his wife Jihan Abdul Aziz Alayan, and their son Musa.” This post featured charming photos of Khalid, Jihan and their adult son Musa.
Around the same time, the account also shared a photo of a smiling family (father, mother, son and daughter) and wrote that “Lina Khaled Al-Hamlawi is the granddaughter of Haj Abdul Aziz Alayn. Also martyred in the same attack were martyr Ezz El-Din Balousha, his wife Lina Al-Hamlawi, and their child. That day, ‘Al Shate Today 24’ posted the same photo and honored “martyr Ezz El-Din Balousha, his wife Lina Hamlawi, and their child.” Other sources mentioned the death of Lina Hamlawi and her two young children, Lin and Yahya.
The same account posted a photo of Muhammad Abdul Aziz Alayan, and his children, Ezz El-Din, Lian, Adnan, Adam, with the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the background, saying “please pray for mercy and forgiveness for them, and recite Al-Fatiha for their pure souls.”
On May 1, 2026, the ‘House Of Elian - Stories That Survive’ Facebook account shared photos of Muhammad’s teenage son, Ezz El-Din, and wrote that “today is the birthday of our dear nephew, the sweet young man, Ezz El-Din Muhammad Abdul Aziz Alayan…He was our joy and laughter. He would have been maybe 16 or 17… The years pass, and the numbers lose their significance. Ezz, the cheerful, handsome, and ambitious one, the eldest son of his family, Ezz, the mischievous one…Whenever he wanted to poke his nose in something, he'd go to his grandfather and ask, "Tell me, Grandfather, how did the ogre take the village headman from you?" His heart would laugh before his eyes, captivating everyone… And his grandfather would sit and tell old stories from Hirbiya. Ezz was martyred along with all his loved ones and friends.” The pictures showed Ezz El-Din at the beach and posing with relatives, including his grandfather, Abdul Aziz, his uncle, Mahmoud, and an older woman, possibly his grandmother, Zainab Mahmoud al-Ghoul.
On May 5, 2026, Sabreen posted a series of photos showing the beautiful exterior of the large Al-Hajj family home with an ornate wrought-iron doorway, a magnificent spiral staircase, and palm trees and other vegetation shading the property. She asked, “Who would have thought that house held so many of our most beautiful memories? There we spent countless days and nights together. There we celebrated life's moments, laughed, danced and enjoyed life and our gatherings as a family. My parents, my three brothers with their families and all my sisters gathered there. The most beautiful memories were created at the home of my sister Aya and my brother-in-law, the chief physician and surgeon Abdul Latif. Who would have thought that their last days of life would also be spent there — and that they would all be murdered in their own home. On November 21, 2023, 49 souls ascended to heaven.”
On June 4, 2026, Abdul Latif mourned his late daughter, Dima, sharing a “selfie’ of her posing in front of the Dome of the Rock/Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and writing, “my beloved daughter Dima, on your 32nd birthday, may you be in the care of the Most Merciful in the Gardens of Bliss with your child, your husband, your siblings, and all your loved ones who have passed away with you.”
Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the airstrike to the Israeli military