On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, a civilian was killed and others were injured during an alleged Israeli strike near the Al-Sawarha/Al-Zawaida cemetery, west of Nuseirat Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip. Two other individuals were killed and have been recorded as a militant.
According to multiple sources, the siblings Maryam Faris Thabet (22-23) and Mohammed Faris Thabet (29-31, a militant) were killed in in a tent housing displaced people near the Al-Sawarha/Al-Zawaida cemetery, west of Nuseirat. The siblings' brother Osama Faris Thabet (28-29) was also killed and has been recorded as a militant.
When Airwars first published this incident on March 18, 2025, no open sources were found to suggest that Mohammed Faris Thabet or Osama Faris Thabet were militants. As such, both men were recorded as 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 20, 2026, a Telegram account affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) identified Osama Faris Thabet as a martyred fighter. As such, Airwars updated Osama Faris Thabet ‘s status from civilian to militant.
On October 22, 2026, the same account posted a tribute to Mohammed Faris Thabet, also identifying him as a fighter. As such, Airwars updated Mohammed Faris Thabet's status from civilian to militant.
Many friends and family members turned to social media to express their grief and to extend their condolences to the closest family members. Bilal Balbal Al-Ajouri mourned the death of the three offsprings of his brother and colleague, naval officer Faris Thabet, Abo Mohammad. Hassan K Abu Tahoon stated: “Our relatives and dear ones have ascended to the gardens of Paradise, may God forgive them… Oh God, wash them with water, snow and hail. To a soul and basil, and a Lord who is not angry. And may God heal you, Uncle Mohammad Abu Zarqa (Abu Ahmad)” making it likely that he was also injured. Youssef Shaqfa shared a post stating: “Your prayers, my dear ones. May God grant you healing, my aunt, you and Ahmad. Please pray for my uncle Mustafa’s recovery.” It is possible that Mustafa and Mohammad are the same person based on their relation to Ahmad, but it is unclear if the post indicates that the wife of Uncle Mohammad/Mustafa and their son Ahmad were also injured.
Two photographs of the two deceased male members of the Thabet family were shared by friends and family on Facebook. One of the photographs shows a young man with black hair and beard stubble, wearing wired headphones. He is dressed in a beige shirt and a black jacket. The photograph appears to have been taken indoors and in the form of a selfie. The other photograph shows a cut-out image of a young man smiling. He has short black hair, a very short stubble, and light-coloured eyes. He is wearing a red zip-up hoodie. He appears to be standing outdoors in front of a wooden bench. An arm of another individual can be seen placed around him.
Two photographs posted by Maysoun Diab Awad on Facebook appear to show the aftermath of the strike. In both images, individuals are gathered around broken and bent iron pillars that formed the structure of the tent, as well as destroyed and partially hanging white metal sheets and torn white fabric. Beneath the damaged structure, blankets, pillows, and clothing items are visible.
Ashraf Thabet posted a video on Facebook showing four men carrying a small carpet used to transport what appears to be a body tightly wrapped in a light blue blanket. The men are walking toward a group of individuals who open their circle to allow the body to be placed in the center. It may depict a burial; however, as the video is only eight seconds long, this cannot be confirmed.
All three siblings had been added to the list of casualties of March 18, 2025 by Shireen Monitor, a Palestinian organisation documenting names of killed civilians. Their names were also found by cross-checking names against lists of fatalities shared online by Genocide in Gaza, which has a list of “martyrs” of Israeli forces.
Palestine TV reported that in addition to two people killed, “others” were injured in the bombing. In addition to numerous private social media users, the incident was reported by several local media outlets, including the Hamas-affiliated outlet Palestinian Information Center and the Palestinian Authority affiliated Palestinian Radio and Television Authority.
While most sources referred to the incident as a bombing, two available sources described it as an airstrike while others referenced “reconnaissance aircraft,” which could indicate a drone strike. The organisation Genocide in Gaza reported that the strike was carried out by an aircraft and that no prior warning had been given to the civilian population.
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, all names are matched to the eighth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on March 24, 2025.
Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the attack to the Israeli military.