On Sunday, October 27, 2024, an alleged Israeli airstrike hit the Asmaa School in Al-Shati Refugee Camp, west of Gaza City, while it was being used as a shelter for displaced families. The airstrike caused significant destruction and resulted in the deaths of ten identified civilians, including four journalists, two children, and members of multiple families. An individual identified as a militant was also killed.
Several sources, including Twitter user @AhmedSalmaHamdan, stated that this was the fifth time the school had been bombed during the October escalation. Despite the risks, families had reportedly continued to seek refuge there due to a lack of alternatives.
Among the confirmed fatalities was nine-year-old Zeina Saeed (Abd al-Karim) al-Ghoul, a young girl killed while waiting in line to receive food. Multiple Twitter users, including @Mahmoud3bbas, @AnasAlSharif0, and @ZaidAlsalman6, reported: “Zeina Al-Ghoul was martyred while lining up to receive a biscuit meal in Asmaa School.” A photograph of Zeina was widely shared, showing a young girl with a wide smile, hugging a toddler.
Journalists killed in the attack
Four journalists were also killed in the attack. 29-year-old Hanin Mahmoud (Salman) Baroud, a media professional affiliated with the Emergency Committee, was one of the most widely mourned victims. On Facebook, Basema Al Farra described her as a committed journalist, noting that she had previously lost four brothers in earlier strikes. Now, with Hanin’s death, her mother had lost five children. A post by Haneena N Sammour (Facebook) read: “This is how we found your body, my friend… May God have mercy on you.”
Zeinab Taji Hejabi (Facebook) described Hanin as “a cheerful and serious companion, a kind soul.” To Zeinab, Hanin was the person “who accompanied [Zeinab] a lot, the person [she] went out with the most, the person [she] took pictures with the most, the person [she] confided in the most, and the person [she] loved to go out with and walk [with] for hours.”She attached a photograph of the two of them on a boat, a life vest in Hanin’s hand. Hanin was in the middle of completing a doctoral degree. In a widely shared photo, she can be seen smiling, wearing a cream-coloured hijab.
41-year-old Dr. Saed (Saed Mohmmad) Radwan, Director of the Digital Media Department at Al-Aqsa TV, was also killed. Facebook posts by Mahmoud Emad and Dr. Saad Kareem recalled his media leadership and mentorship of students at Al-Isra University, while Basema Al Farra reported that he held a “doctor[ate] in artificial intelligence” and “gave and gave from his knowledge and experience to media students in universities and training center.” Mahmoud Emad shared that he had spoken to Radwan earlier that morning, and Radwan had warned him: “All places are not safe.” Alaa Alaa (Twitter) referred to Saed as “the brave, the owner of a smile that never left his face.” He can be seen in images shared wearing a light green shirt. Saed was reported to be the brother of Sami Radwan, a former Hamas commander who was killed during the 2021 Hamas-Israel conflict.
The third journalist was a 29-year-old female, Nadia Emad (Yousef) Massoud. According to her profile on the website “Genocide in Gaza”, she was also a producer and presenter with radio and media outlets. A young woman can be seen in a photograph in a brown dress and a blue-and-white hijab.
The fourth journalist, 25-year-old Hamza Youseif (Mohammad) Abu Selmia (a militant), was working in media at the beginning of his career and worked with Sand News Agency. Hamza was also affiliated with Hamas' armed wing, Al Qessam Brigades. On Facebook, Khaled Sh identified Hamza as his cousin and remembered him as an aspiring content creator: “Hamza was martyred along with the dear friend Saed Radwan and media sister Hanin Mahmoud Baroud.” Facebook user Hamza Emad Radwan also posted: “They were the best colleagues, companions, and brothers.” In a photograph, Hamza is seen wearing a suit.
Another victim added to the list was 33-year-old Islam Ahmed al-Maqousi (a militant), whose death was confirmed by his cousin Arch Fadi Fayez Essa in a Facebook post. Rewaa Al Maqousi, Islam’s brother, shared a photograph of him sporting a black vest and collegiate sweatshirt. His loss was palpable: “I will miss you, my dear.”
When Airwars first published this incident on August 13, 2025, no open sources were found to suggest that Islam Ahmed al-Maqousi or Hamza Youseif (Mohammad) Abu Selmia were militants. As such, both men were recorded as civilians. 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 February 24, 2026, a Telegram account affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), published a tribute to Islam Ahmed al-Maqousi, identifying him as a “martyred commander”. As such, Airwars updated Islam Ahmed al-Maqousi’s status from civilian to militant.
On October 4, 2026, the same Telegram account published a tribute to Hamza Youseif (Mohammad) Abu Selmia, identifying him as a “martyred fighter”. As such, Airwars updated his status from civilian to militant.
On October 4, 2026, the Israeli military published an investigation entitled 'Does the IDF Target Journalists in Gaza? 170 Gazan Journalists Exposed as Terrorists.' In this investigation, Hamza Youseif (Mohammad) Abu Selmia was described as a 'Field Operative in the Gaza Brigade', and the memorial posters attached mentioned him as 'the martyred mujahid of the al-Qassam Brigades' and pictured him holding weapons.
Remembering the victims
In addition to the journalists and the child, the following individuals were killed: 22-year-old Hamza Emad (Jabr) Abu Subha, 70-year-old engineer Shuaib al-Haddad, and his son, 29-year-old Ahmed Shuaib al-Haddad, as well as two women from the same family: 17-year-old Saja Ahmed al-Atal and 32-year-old Nidaa Othman al-Atal. Abo Abdallaha Zaqout was also named among the deceased, though his name had also appeared in a separate incident dated October 26, 2024. The names were confirmed by multiple posters, including @SahfiGhazawi, @MohammedMahmoud, and @HossamJaberAboYahia (all on Twitter), as well as family members on Facebook who expressed grief and shared familial connections.
Where possible, the 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 a number of 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, names are matched to the eighth “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on March 24, 2025. Additional middle names of the victims within parentheses were found from the MoH list rather than local sources.
Where possible, the ages of victims have also been found by cross-checking names against lists of fatalities shared online by Shireen Monitor, an organisation that has a list of “Martyrs of Palestine” from 2023 onward.
Hamza Emad Abu Subha was remembered by his uncle, Shady Abu Sabha, as “the apple of my eye.” He shared a photograph of Hamza from a photography studio. Likely taken in December, Hamza is looking at the camera, a Christmas tree to his side.
In a photograph shared by Mahmoud Anwar Zaqout, Hamza is pictured with a friend. The friend is holding a gun. There were no indications of militancy within the sources, and Hamza is not believed to be affiliated with any militant groups.
Om Eahaab Hamada remembered Shuaib al-Haddad and his son, Ahmed as neighbours of “good memory.” He shared a photograph of father and son, both suited. Eyad Mohammed remembered Shuaib as a “Hajj,” indicating he had completed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, an undertaking highly valued by his community. Tayseer Zaqout reported that he was an engineer. Attached to a video of funeral rites, Hasan Abu Qamar wrote that though both men had “left our eyes […] they did not leave our hearts.”
Iman Al Atal, remembering Nadia Emad al-Sayed, as well as her sister, Saja Ahmed al-Atal, and sister-in-law, Nidaa Othman al-Atal, wrote that “Paradise is only suitable for people like you.” They were “dear friends and the loves of my heart, whom my eyes are accustomed to seeing every morning.” Iman attached photographs, including one of Saja in a black hijab and a smiling Nidaa in a white hijab. “O god,” the caption on Nidaa’s photograph states, “make her one of the happiest of the happy.”
Islam Hussam remembered Saja as a “distinguished student” and “one of the students who leaves a good impression on her teacher.” A dedicated learner, she had memorised the Quran.
Sojood Ahmad was shocked by the loss: “In my life, I never expected that I would mourn you and for you to leave me like this in the blink of an eye.”
On Facebook, Mada News Agency confirmed that nine displaced persons had been killed. A statement from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (Facebook) condemned the strike, calling it “a new massacre against journalists,” and added that this incident brought the total number of journalists killed since the beginning of the war to approximately 180.
Strike aftermath
Eyewitnesses and media reports on Facebook and X/Twitter reported the aftermath. A video posted by @HossamShabat documented civil defense teams attempting to pull bodies from under the rubble, reporting: “Civil defense teams that responded in the area of Asmaa School had to cut bodies into pieces in an effort to pull them out from under the rubble.” Posts from @tamerqdh revealed children’s toys and scattered personal belongings, with others reporting seeing the bodies of women and children. @TRTArabi (Twitter) reported the scene as: “Body parts everywhere… the Israeli occupation army commits a horrific massacre in Asmaa School.” In a video shared by X/Twitter user @qudsn, dust-covered body parts and people are crushed under rubble. Posts from Ahmed Salma Hamdan (Facebook) and others criticised the continued use of the school despite repeated bombings. “Five times with F-16s and people are still sitting in it!” he wrote. “You’ve been bombed five times with an F-16 and you haven’t learned!!!” He further criticised the use of “human shields” by “Hamas dogs.”
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 eighth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list.
Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to Israeli forces.
According to the post on Facebook by Mahmoud Emad at 13:27 local time, he spoke with his manager, Saed Radwan (victim), two hours ago, indicating that the strike presumably took place between 11:30-13:20 local time.