On 15th November 2024, an alleged Israeli strike on a tent housing displaced people in a camp in the coastal Mawasi region in Khan Younis killed at least 10 civilians, including six children, and injured 10 more, including three with serious wounds.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported that “At approximately 1:00 PM, an Israeli helicopter attacked a tent belonging to an internally displaced person on a plot of land in the western part of Al-Mawasi, southwest of Khan Younis. The shelling killed seven residents, including a girl and four of her young siblings, and injured others, three of whom were seriously injured. The martyrs were: Wafaa Ismail Mahmoud Abdel Aal, 18, and her siblings Layan Ismail Mahmoud Abdel Aal, 2, Yasmin Ismail Mahmoud Abdel Aal, 13, Mohammed Ismail Mahmoud Abdel Aal, 16, and Mahmoud Ismail Mahmoud Abdel Aal, 15.” Rama Hazem Ahmed Abu Hamid, 14, and Mohammed Salah Mohammed Hajila, 32 were also among those killed, and the following day, the child Yassin Mohammed Fayez Al-Shaer, 13, was declared dead after succumbing to his wounds from the shelling.
Journalist Hassan Eslayeh reported that in addition, Heba Abdel Razzaq Marziq Abdel Aal, mother of Wafaa and her siblings, was also killed, along with Heba Salah Abu Hajila, sister of Mohammed Salah Mohammed Hajila.
A post from “Activist Mohammed Saeed” on Facebook reported that 10 injuries resulted from the bombing.The bodies of the dead and wounded were transferred to the Nasser Medical Complex in the city and the field hospital affiliated with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
There was no statement from the Israel Defense Forces relating to this specific strike immediately publicly available. This assessment will be updated if this changes.
Loved ones took to social media to mourn the loss of their family members.
Rama Hazem Ahmed Abu Hamid’s cousin Maha Belal shared a loving tribute on Facebook, asking God for “patience and solace” in dealing with this news. Her sister Nedal Hazem also made a post declaring Rama had “passed away” and asking for God’s “mercy”. Abo Hamied also shared an image with a white cloth wrapped body with Rama’s name on it along with a picture of family members crowded around, and several image of a grave being dug by a group of people and those same people exchanging hugs after the funeral.
Mohamed Salah Mohamed Hajila’s cousin Hamda Heijila also shared a Facebook post asking for God’s forgiveness as his cousin had “ascended to heaven”. He shared a picture of Mohamed smiling in a blue shirt. Atef Sokar shared the same picture as he wrote to Facebook about the “passing” of his “dear friend”. Cousin Om al Joud Heijila wrote a post saying “the news of [his] martyrdom was like a thunderbolt that struck [their] hearts”. Another cousin, Ayat Alejla, wrote on Facebook offering her condolences to her aunt and Mohamed’s wife and children. She shared a picture of Mohamed wearing a green t-shirt. A number of other family members and friends also made posts.
The official Facebook page for the Al-Shaer family announced the death of Yassin Mohamed Fayez Al-Shaer and Yassin’s friend Shadi Naeem made a Facebook post sharing news of his friend’s passing and asking for God’s mercy.
Rafat Abu Dabaan offered condolences to their cousin Ismail Abdel Aal for the loss of his wife and children in the bombing in Mawasi.
The incident was reported by Al Jazeera Arabic, who also tweeted a video of the aftermath of the strike where a group of women and children are crying while being checked on and civil defense teams can be seen carrying a body on a stretcher. In another video, posted by Alarabiya Palestine, a young man is seen mourning over a body, and he is described as being the son of the man who was killed in Mawasi.
Khbrpress news shared an image of two injured men being treated by doctors in a medical facility, one with a bandaged head wound and one with a bandaged arm.
Masdr Al Ikhbaria shared to Facebook a news update and pictures of the bodies of the dead wrapped in white cloth.
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the attack to the Israeli military.