Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISPT0528

Incident date

October 23, 2023

Location

منزل عائلة الزناتي بخان يونس, al-Zanati family home in Khan Younis, Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip

Geolocation

31.354810, 34.297943 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the morning of Monday, October 23, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike struck the Al-Zenati family home in the Al-Amal neighborhood west of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, killing four people, including three children, and injuring four, among them two women. The family home was completely destroyed.

The earliest reports were from tweets reporting two bodies having been dragged out of the rubble, including one of a child. The strike occurred in the morning.

Various tweets and Facebook posts confirmed that those killed were 31-year-old Hisham Mousa Al-Zenati, a father, his son, Malek Hisham Mousa Al-Zenati, and two of Hisham’s nephews, who were children of his brother, Ahmed, – Khaled Ahmed Mousa Al-Zenati and Mousa Ahmed Mousa Al-Zenati.

Mustafa Baroud shared a photograph of Hisham who was a young man with brown eyes and a dark beard smiling with his young son Malek who had blond hair and blue eyes laughing into the camera with a message that read: “May God have mercy on you, Hisham Mousa Al-Zenati, May God compensate you with three sons.” Malek was five years old, Khaled was four, and Mousa was two years old when they were killed. A photo of Hisham’s other son, presumably Khaled, showed him smelling a red flower.

Hisham’s brother, Ahmed Mousa al-Zenati, Ahmed’s and Hisham’s wives, whose names were not listed, and Ahmed’s brother Karim al-Zenati were injured in the strike. In Dr. Mohammed Al-Zenati’s post, he shared that Ahmed and Hisham’s wives were “moderately injured.”

Images of the strike lit up by flashlights showed a destroyed building. Other photos shared on Facebook by Masdr Al Ikhbaria showed men and doctors carrying the bodies of children wrapped in white body bags.

The father and his sons were buried in a “makeshift grave” after the strike.

Where sources named a belligerent, all sources claimed the Israeli military was responsible.

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

Family members (8)

Hisham Mousa Saleh Al-Zenati هشام موسى الزيناتي
31 years old male killed
Malek Hisham Mousa Al-Zenati مالك هشام موسى الزيناتي
5 years old male son of Hisham killed
Khaled Ahmed Mousa Al-Zenati خالد أحمد موسى الزيناتي
4 years old male nephew of hisham killed
Mousa Ahmed Mousa Al-Zenati موسى أحمد موسى الزيناتي
2 years old male Hisham's nephew killed
Ahmed Mousa Al Zenati أحمد موسى الزيناتي
Adult male Hisham's brother injured
Karim Al-Zenati كامل الزناتي
Adult male Hisham's brother injured
Ahmed Al-Zenati’s wife زوج أحمد الزناتي
Adult female injured
Hisham Al Zenati’s wife زوجة هشام الزناتي
Adult female injured

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the neighbourhood of Al-Amal (حي الأمل) in Khan Younis (خان يونس), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.354810, 34.297943. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Infrastructure
    House, Residential
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (3 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (31) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mohammed Ghali
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Mahmoud Nabil

Israeli Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Israeli Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Infrastructure
    House, Residential
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (3 children1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military

Sources (31) [ collapse]