On Sunday, July 13th, 2025, four civilians were reportedly killed – a mother and her three children – and a number of other civilians were injured when the Israeli military allegedly struck a tent for displaced people in the Al-Qarara area, north of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. A fifth person, the patriarch of the family, was identified as a militant and was also killed.
Sources including Siham-Haifa Daoud, Al Hadath Palestine and Adly Abu Taha reported on the incident and identified those killed as 36-year-old journalist and Al-Qessam militant Hussam Saleh al-Adlouni, his 36-year-old pregnant wife Suad Abd Mahmoud al-Adlouni, their 13-year-old son Abdul Rahman Hussam Saleh and their two daughters, nine-year-old Shahd Hussam Saleh al-Adlouni and four-year-old Fairouz Hussam Saleh al-Adlouni.
When Airwars first published this incident on May 4, 2026, Hussam Saleh al-Adlouni was referred to as a journalist, and no open sources were found to suggest that he was a militant. As such, Hussam al-Adlouni was recorded as a civilian. This was in line with Airwars’ methodology which is employed across all conflicts we document, and informed by international standards regarding the ‘presumption of civilian status‘. Specifically, as outlined by the International Committee of the Red Cross, civilian status is assumed until evidence is identified to the contrary.
On June 2, 2026, a Telegram account affiliated with Hamas’ armed wing, Al-Qessam Brigades, published a tribute to Hussam al-Adlouni, identifying him as a “commander”. As such, Airwars updated Hussam al-Adlouni’s status from civilian to militant, and changed the minimum number of civilians reportedly killed in this incident from five to four.
Many other local sources reported on the strike, including posts to X from @PalinfoAr, @AnasAISharif0 and @DrAmanyAbuJazar, who included an image of Hussam in an orange long-sleeved shirt, holding his camera.
Safa News’ correspondent also reported that there were other injuries and fires in the tents.
Mohamed Elsayed El Shazly stated in a post to Facebook that, “this crime adds to a long list of ongoing violations against Palestinian civilians and journalists, and embodies the magnitude of the tragedy and human suffering endured by the residents of the Gaza Strip.”
Hussam’s nephew, Abu Ibrahim Tawfiq Jadid, wrote an emotional testimony on Facebook, mourning the loss of his uncle: “I can’t believe I’ll never hear your voice again, or see you with the smile that never left your cheerful face… You were safety and kindness, you were the light that brought reassurance to our hearts… You were support and help. Your voice carried the warmth of security, and your face shone with an indelible smile… How can words describe the pain of loss, and how can tears bring back those who have inhabited our memories and souls?”
@derradjihafid on Twitter/X also wrote a tribute to the journalist: “A new tragedy is written in the blood of innocents, leaving an unhealed wound in the memory of humanity. Journalist Hussam Saleh al-Adlouni, his wife, and his three children were martyred as a result of a direct Israeli airstrike targeting their tent in the Al-Qarara area, north of Khan Younis. Words were his weapon, so they assassinated him with a missile. Neither he nor his family were spared the brutality of the killing machine.”
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to the Israeli forces. The sources differed on the nature of the strike. Safa Newsreported a drone strike, while @derradjihafid alleged that this was an airstrike. According to Hussam’s profile on the website Genocide in Gaza, the attack happened without prior warning.
All names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released eight lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, the name was matched to the eleventh “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on August 4, 2025.