Between November 4th and 7th, 2023, an alleged Israeli airstrike in the Al Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed 33-year-old USAID contractor Hani Mohamed Fahkry Jnena (Janinah), his 32-year-old wife, Abeer (Abari) Amer Khalaf Ahl, and their two young daughters, Maryam Hani Mohamed Jnena, aged four, and Zeina Hani Mohamed Jnena, aged two.

The family was reportedly staying at the residence of Abeer’s parents after fleeing earlier airstrikes in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood. The strike also resulted in the deaths of Abeer’s parents (Hani’s in-laws) and caused significant destruction to the surroundings.

Haya Hijazi mourned the death of Hani, writing, “My cousin Hani Genena, his wife and daughters were martyred. To God we belong and to Him we shall return.”

Hani Jnena was a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), working with the Global Communities organization, a non-profit partner specializing in humanitarian and development workstations to provide essential IT services under challenging circumstances. On October 10, 2023, Jnena sent a final message to his colleagues in the West Bank, stating, “My daughters are terrified, and I am trying to keep them calm, but this bombing is terrifying”. USAID officials expressed frustration with the lack of acknowledgement and action, particularly from the White House, in response to the rising toll of civilian and humanitarian worker casualties, as reported by The Washington Post and other outlets.

Global Communities issued a statement confirming the deaths of Hani Jnena and his family. They described him as a “kind and committed team member”, highlighting the profound impact of his loss on their staff in Gaza and the West Bank. According to Hani’s close colleague and friend, who preferred to remain unnamed for safety reasons,  “Hani was extremely loved by all staff. He constantly supported the whole team with all requests, with a smile on his face. Hani’s affability and serenity is amongst his most endless list of merits. I loved working with Hani and having him on the Gaza team.”

Samantha Power, Administrator of USAID, extended condolences in a letter to the CEO of Global Communities, expressing sorrow over the tragic loss of Jnena and his family. However, many within USAID expressed disappointment that the agency had not publicly acknowledged the incident or raised more substantial objections to the continued targeting of humanitarian workers.

Witnesses reported that the airstrike destroyed the residence where Hani Mohamed Fahkry Jnena and his family were staying, leaving no survivors. According to reports by Global Communities and international media, the family had sought refuge at Abeer Amer Khalaf Ahl’s parents’ home after their neighbourhood in Sheikh Radwan had come under heavy bombardment.

Social media accounts such as @John_Hudson, as well as Genopal Report, confirmed that the alleged Israeli airstrike in the Al Sabra neighbourhood killed the family. Global Communities emphasized the devastating loss in a statement shared online, and posts like those from Haya Hijazi highlighted the tragedy’s impact on the community.

The Washington Post noted that Jnena’s death intensified calls within the Biden administration to hold Israel accountable for the civilian toll of its military operations. USAID officials called for stronger measures to protect humanitarian workers, including restrictions on military assistance to Israel. An Israeli military spokesman declined to confirm or deny responsibility for the strike, stating that the military’s focus was on dismantling Hamas’s capabilities.

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released six lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars matches individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the third Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza, which was released on April 1, 2024.

The exact day and time of the incident are unknown. Most of the sources reported the death of Jnena family members on November 7, 2023. However, the Global Communities website claimed that according to its information, the family was killed on Sunday, November 5th, 2023. According to Genopal and the Washington Post, the incident happened on November 4th.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the airstrike to the Israeli military.

The local time of the incident is unknown.