**On November 17–18, 2023**, an attack by the Israeli army in Gaza's Sabra neighborhood led to the massacre of over 70 Palestinian civilians, primarily members of the Shaheibar family. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor’s report details this incident, revealing extensive civilian casualties and the destruction of residential infrastructure. The assault, part of a large-scale Israeli military operation, involved multiple airstrikes and a ground incursion targeting residential buildings without prior warning, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis and a communication blackout due to an ongoing siege. **Euro-Med Monitor documented the destruction, noting a complete lack of military targets in the area. The investigation involved several witness testimonies, video evidence, satellite imagery, and multiple site visits.** ## Chronology of the Shaheibar Family Massacre in Gaza - November 17–18, 2023 ### November 17, 2023 **4:10 a.m.** Israeli warplanes launched missiles at a five-story residential building owned by Maher Shaheibar on Shaheibar Street, Gaza City. The strikes hit the fifth and third floors, killing approximately 40 people, injuring 20 others, and leaving only a family on the ground floor unharmed. **4:40 a.m.** An Israeli drone targeted a second residential building owned by Muhyi Shaheibar, killing a child and critically injuring his mother on the top floor. **~5:00 a.m.** The Israeli army struck a third building, owned by Nahid Shaheibar, destroying the top floor and killing a woman, with 10 others injured. No warnings were given for any of these strikes. **6:00 a.m.** Family members and residents attempted to transport the wounded to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital but were **blocked by Israeli tanks encirclin**g the area. Due to lack of medical assistance, several injured civilians succumbed to their wounds. **6:30 - 7:00 a.m.** Israeli military vehicles entered Shaheibar Street and shelled a six-story building owned by Rafiq Shaheibar, killing a young girl, a woman, and injuring multiple women and children. **Tanks and bulldozers proceeded to crush bodies and vehicles along the street**. Many residents sheltered in nearby homes as the assault continued **5:00 p.m.** As residents anticipated a military withdrawal,**Israeli aircraft struck a three-story building owned by Said Ismail Shaheibar, where approximately 200 displaced people had sought refuge**. The attack killed four people, including three children and an elderly woman, while injuring at least 10 others. **Many died due to the inability to reach medical care.** ## November 18, 2023 **6:00 a.m.** Residents cautiously returned to Shaheibar Street to retrieve bodies and prepare for burials, assuming Israeli forces had withdrawn. **While they gathered outside, an Israeli drone fired two missiles, killing around 20 people**, including children, and injuring many others. **7:30 a.m.** After confirming the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, residents collected bodies from both days’ attacks, burying around 60 victims, including intact and fragmented remains, in the "al-Bariya" area, previously razed by Israeli military bulldozers. **At 4:10 a.m. on November 17**, missiles from Israeli aircraft struck a five-story building owned by Maher Shaheibar, killing approximately 40 people and injuring around 20 others. Survivors included a displaced family on the ground floor. Shortly after, an Israeli drone targeted a second building owned by Muhyi Shaheibar, resulting in the death of a child and severe injury to his mother. **A third nearby building, owned by Nahid Shaheibar, was struck soon after**, killing a woman and injuring ten others. -> **No warnings were issued before these strikes.** ## Israeli forces prevented rescue and targeted rescuers and funerals: Family members and neighbors attempted to rescue and retrieve bodies, laying around 15 bodies on the sidewalk. While trying to transport the wounded to the hospital, residents were blocked by Israeli tanks. Due to a lack of medical assistance, several injured individuals later died. When the residents attempted to bury the dead at 6:00 a.m., an Israeli drone struck the burial group, killing an additional 20 people, including children. *"The residents then waited for about an hour and a half, and after confirming that the Israeli forces had fully withdrawn south toward the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, they began collecting the bodies and remains of the victims from that day and the previous day, burying them in the "al-Bariya" area, where trees had once stood before being razed by the army. Despite the risks involved, the residents completed the burials, laying around 60 bodies to rest, including both intact bodies and body parts crushed by the Israeli military vehicles as they entered the street the previous day"* ## Impact of Siege and Communication Blackout: The attack coincided with a communications shutdown in Gaza, which hampered rescue efforts. Fuel shortages, due to Israel's blockade, rendered essential services unavailable, worsening civilian casualties. Mass Grave and Destruction Assessment: Following Israeli forces' temporary retreat, residents gathered bodies and buried around 60 victims. ## Conclusions and Legal Implications: Euro-Med Monitor concluded that the attacks violated international humanitarian laws, as they targeted civilians and lacked military necessity. The strikes breached principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, which mandate the protection of civilians in conflict zones. The massacre is classified as a war crime under the Rome Statute, with elements of a crime against humanity due to the scale, systematic nature, and civilian targeting. ### Sources : [To read the entire investigation](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1856389144911421521.html) [Online investigation](https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6537/Shaheibar-family-massacre:-Euro-Med-Monitor-investigation-reveals-Israeli-army-killed-70-Palestinians-in-Gaza-street) [PDF report](https://euromedmonitor.org/uploads/reports/Shaheibar-massacre-ar.pdf)

Since the beginning of the genocide, on October 2023, Gaza's hospitals, including Al-Nasr and Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital Complex, struggle to operate under conditions of constant shelling, shortages of electricity, fuel, and medical supplies. International organizations like UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders warn of a humanitarian disaster, particularly for children and critical care patients in northern Gaza hospitals. The episode of the siege, the shelling, the evacuation and invasion of the Al-Nasser complex (10 to 27 November 2023) led to the death and abandonment of infants in intensive care for three weeks before being found dead. Their bodies were discovered in a decomposing state in the Al-Nasr Hospital nursery, in what may amount to a horrifying execution and a crime against humanity.  *Zoom in to see the map showing the three hospitals in Gaza that formed a complete medical complex* ## Chronology of Events: **Before November 10, 2023:** The targeting of Al-Nasr Hospital or rather Al-Nasr Medical Complex started when the Israeli bombs caused a fire in the garden of the Eyes Hospital **on 1 November**. According to “@ma_loolla" (certainly a member of the medical staff but her X account is now suppressed) the IDF prevented access to drinking water **since November 3**. **On November 4**, the IDF ordered Dr. Mustafa Alkahlout, director of Al-Nasr Hospital, to evacuate, warning of an imminent strike. Shortly after, the hospital gate was bombed, killing at least two people, injuring others, and destroying the water station. Dr. Alkahlout appealed to the media for international protection against the threats and evacuation orders. On the same day, “@ma_loolla” wrote: *"Once again, Al-Nasr Hospital now accommodates tens of thousands of displaced individuals, along with medical staff and their families. Everyone has lost their homes, including "children" patients from Al-Dura hospital who were evacuated due to phosphorus bombing and Al-Rantisi hospital bombardment that turned its patients into casualties. The hospital "Al-Nasr" houses a neonatal care unit with babies on artificial respiration and cases in intensive care. It is the last remaining children's hospital in Gaza.”* **On November 5**, the Israeli army shelled Al-Nasr Hospital. **Hours later, on November 6**, they shelled the Al-Nasr Medical Complex, including El-Rantisi Cancer Hospital, the Eyes Hospital, and Gaza's only psychiatric hospital, killing six children and several displaced people. **On November 9**, Al-Nasr Hospital was shelled twice more, severely damaging the entrance and cutting power to the ICU and neonatal unit. The oxygen supply was disrupted, leading to the death of Yahia Shabat, a child with SMA who relied on a respirator. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.  *One of the examination rooms in Nasr Hospital and you see the hole that shows you the street thanks to the Israeli shelling on November 9,2023.* Other footages :[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paioC0XsJzQ&t=1s), [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9eTbKF1O54) **November 10, 2023:** The hospital comes under heavy fire of Israeli Military, with shelling reported at the gate and within departments. Israeli tanks encircle the area. Doctors and staff at Al-Nasr evacuate under dangerous conditions, leaving behind five critically ill infants in the pediatric ICU due to the inability to safely transport them without life-support equipment. A nurse sheltering in the hospital reports sniper fire preventing movement and pleads for help through international organizations. The Orient XXI and the BBC articles describe an exchange between an officer from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) The COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), the Israeli organization that coordinates the activities of the Israeli military and interactions with Palestinian authorities and civilians in the occupied territories, and a medical official from Al-Rantisi Hospital regarding the evacuation of two hospitals, Al-Nasr and Al-Rantisi, located about 500 meters apart. In this case, the role of COGAT was to coordinate the evacuation of Al-Nasr hospital, but the promises of support were not fulfilled. Dr. Al-Kahlout, the director of the pediatric hospitals Al-Nasr and Al-Rantisi Hospital informed an agent from Israel's Cogat that ambulances could not access the hospital due to intense fighting and that some patients, particularly babies in intensive care, could not be moved without specific medical equipment. A COGAT official assured him they were aware of the situation and would act accordingly, yet the babies were left without assistance and that ambulances would be sent to evacuate the patients, including the babies in intensive care. The COGAT officer assured the hospital official that ambulances would arrive and everything would be fine. *“I will coordinate with the primary rescue center. Don’t worry, I am close to the army, everything will be fine.” When asked, “Will ambulances take the patients and medical staff?”, the officer replied: “No problem.”* Despite these promises, the ambulances never arrived. The medical staff, in a state of panic, attempted to evacuate the hospital on foot, holding white flags to signal their intention to flee. However, during this evacuation, they were targeted by the Israeli military, as shown in video footage from November 10. **Mid-November 2023 :** The hospital is left nonfunctional following the evacuation, despites Israeli assurance, no follow-up evacuation of the infants occurs. **27 November 2023:** Discovery of the abandoned Infants by the journalist Mohammed Baalousha from Al-Mashhad TV who gained access to Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital. He discovered the decomposing bodies of five infants still connected to medical devices in the pediatric ICU. The footage of the infants circulates widely on social media, shocking the international community. **December 2023:** Reactions and Investigations NBC News obtains and verifies raw footage, confirming the advanced decomposition of the infants and the dire conditions in the ICU. Forensic Analysis: Experts verify the bodies' state aligns with the timeline of abandonment after the evacuation. **On January 9**, Palestinian journalists and photographers revisited Al-Nasr Hospital only to discover it completely damaged. The war crime or crimes' evidence and scene had to be erased. **Euro-med Human Rigth Monitor statement** *"Euro-Med Monitor emphasized that there was nothing that could have been done to save their lives during the evacuation, as patients and staff were forced to leave against their will, and transferring the vulnerable newborns to another accredited medical facility would have had to been done by the Israeli army—something that never happened. Instead, the infants were abandoned on the machines, and left to die in silence. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor demanded that the Israeli army be held accountable for the incident and that the Red Cross should also be held responsible for suspicions of negligence in responding to calls to save the lives of children and patients in Gaza."* **The ICR crews were accused** to have abandonned the infants, they released a [statement](https://x.com/Amal_Ali80/status/1730278626141086121/photo/1) on November 30. Here is the translation of the Arabic version (more precise than the English one) "International Committee @ICRC_ar Important clarification. *The circulating footage of newborn babies dying is an unspeakable tragedy and an unacceptable reality in which civilians – including newborns and children – pay a heavy price in the conflict. The security situation in the northern Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly difficult. The ICRC has received numerous requests to evacuate hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, but the difficult security situation has prevented us from participating in any of these evacuations, and our teams have shown no commitment to participate. The ICRC reiterates its public emphasis on the need to protect hospitals in times of armed conflict. ICRC"* ## **Names of the martyrs :** - Jawaher Al-Kafarna - Mazen Al-Taweel - Salem Abu Qeinas - Yahia Shabbat - Unnamed : the son of Ibrahim Al-Bahtiti. - A woman and her daughter (following the testimony of a female doctor on X, archived on "[genocide in Gaza](https://gigaza.org/en/massacres/leaving-children-to-die-in-al-nasr-hospital/)" ) There are certainly more victims among the children, even if their remains were not found in the hospital : according to the testimony of several hospital officials, they were forced to leave two children in a care unit, two in foster care, and a fifth child with Edwards’ syndrome (trisomy 18) with an orphan girl whose entire family was killed. ## IDF statement and denial: Even if there is a recorded telephone conversation released by IDF about the evacuation, and the insurance of coordination with the Red Cross and the Israeli army as it was done for the evacuation of another hospitals, COGAT spokeswoman Shani Sasson informed The Post that Israeli forces did not instruct al-Nasr's staff to evacuate or conduct operations within the facility. *"For an army that opens incubators to find weapons in it and find tunnels in strange places, I highly doubt it"*. She refrained from responding to inquiries regarding whether COGAT or the Israeli military were informed about the babies or took any steps to provide assistance to them. During a live conversation on Twitter, IDF Spokeswoman Doron Spielman questioned if the whole thing was true : *"There were no premature babies that decomposed because of the IDF; there were probably no babies that decomposed whatsoever,"* he stated.  ## Sources [Main source to go further](https://egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com/2024/02/gaza-war-after-hague-what-really.html) **Other sources :** [1](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/abandoned-babies-found-decomposing-gaza-hospital-evacuated-rcna127533) [2](https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/08/middleeast/babies-al-nasr-gaza-hospital-what-we-know-intl/index.html) [3](https://orientxxi.info/magazine/bebes-prematures-un-crime-israelien-sous-les-radars-mediatiques,6981) [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl2BkqcZIHA) [5](https://www.instagram.com/middleeastmatters/p/C1Azu_Jv3XJ/?img_index=6) [6](https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/israeli-military-left-palestinian-infants-die) [7](https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/5987) [8](https://gigaza.org/en/massacres/leaving-children-to-die-in-al-nasr-hospital/)

Assasination of Mohammed Abu Hattab, correspondent for Palestine TV. - Date: Killed on Thursday, June 17, 2024. - Location: Khan Younès, Gaza Strip. - Cause: Killed in an airstrike at his home. - Casualties: Along with Abu Hattab, 11 family members were also killed. - Call for Investigation: Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, condemned the killing. Called for a thorough and transparent investigation. Stressed the need for all parties to respect UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015), which protects journalists and media professionals in conflict situations. Killed by Israel: “Colleague journalist Mohammed Abu Hatab was on the air on the nine o'clock broadcast and returned to see his children before returning to Nasser Hospital to be on the midnight broadcast. Mohammad returned to Nasser Hospital, but as a martyr, and it will be broadcast at midnight, but as news and not as a Palestine TV correspondent. With blood we write for Palestine.” [https://x.com/itranslate123/status/1720185586894450730](url) [https://x.com/HosamSalemG/status/1720175317254361580](url) **His colleague Salman Al-Bashir** removes his protective gear marked PRESS on air saying: *“We can’t take it anymore, we are exhausted. We are victims. The only difference between us is the time of death. We are killed one after another. And no one cares about the catastrophe or the crime that we endure in Gaza. No protection for anyone or anything. This gear and helmet do not protect any journalist, they are just empty slogans. We are victims, live on air. We are victims awaiting our turn to be killed. Mohammad was here half an hour ago (reporting). Now he lies dead with his family in this same hospital.”* At this date, on Novemebr 2, Israel has targeted and killed at least 34 journalists since October 7, alone or with their families.

Since October 2023, settlers near Ma'ale Hever have terrorized Bani Naeim, near Hebron/Al-Khalil, setting fire to livestock feed, blocking roads, and invading homes. Armed settlers frequently harass residents, preventing them from grazing their land and forcing them to leave. This systematic campaign, led by settlers like Matan, blurs the line between settlers and soldiers, as both participate in intimidation and violence. Residents live in daily fear, enduring relentless attacks designed to push them out of their village. **Testimony of Younis Tirawi** The lives of the Palestinians in Bani Naeim have became an ongoing nightmare since the establishment of a new terror outpost near Ma'ale Hever. - Back in Octobre 2023, settlers settled, deliberately, only 50 meters from the houses. The tents in the front are the homes of the village. The caravan on the hill in the back is one of the buildings of the terror outpost - On Oct 21st, one of the first things the settlers did after establishing the new outpost is to set ablaze the hay used to feed the sheep. They know the biggest expense for shepherd communities is animal feed, and if they inflict this financial blow, herding would become uncostly & the Palestinians would sell their flocks and leave. Afterwards, armed settlers with M16 rifles denied the villagers to graze on their own lands. - A few times a week sometimes every day : Over time, they escalated, with armed settlers frequently invading between and even inside homes of the village, terrorizing locals and children. Anyone who tries to stop them is labeled a terrorist and risks being shot. You are also an anti-semite if you say that you oppose this. It’s a deliberate systematic terror plan to force the Palestinians out of the village, a daily nightmare. - On April 20, 2024,an attack and harassment by settlers that took place when they entered the village’s homes. - One of the arch-settlers who leads such terrorist attacks is a settler named Matan. He used to close the road for the village with his children. To decide who passes through & who doesnt, to demand searching the car or seeing an ID. They like to play as if they're army to pass the time, as if the lives of the people in Bani Naim are some kind of a game. - In an interview, a resident, Ibrahim, gave this answer for the question: are these settlers or soldiers? Ibrahim answers very clearly: no difference. A settlers would change his uniform and then go down to the village beating them or destroy properties

Around [1 pm](https://x.com/Hamzaalnamla1/status/1719683995703664822), a civilian car was struck by Israeli aircraft at Ard Al-Mufti in Nuseirat, central Gaza. The location was also close to a boys' school turned into a shelter. Two people were killed.

Around [2:45 pm](https://x.com/refugeesps/status/1719334738186362919) Israeli airstrikes bombarded the Burj Al-Mohandiseen ('The Engineers' Tower') residential building on Al-Ishrin Street in Nuseirat, central Gaza. The building was comprised of 24 apartments, and was completely leveled to the ground. Over 45 people were killed. **Photos** Flattened building  Search efforts     Injured children in hospital   

On october 26, 2023, the Yarmouk area, Al-Zawaida area in central Gaza, was carpet bombed by Israel. More than 20 missiles erased the residential zone where Duaa Sharaf and her family lived. Israeli missiles killed Duaa, her baby, Obaida, and their entire family while they were asleep in their home. Duaa Sharaf was Journalist, "a strong voice" of the local Al-Aqsa Radio. **Intensive Bombardment:** WAFA reported "intensive" bombing of the areas of Tal Al-Hawa, Al-Jawzet, and Al-Nafaq, along with an additional strike near the Yarmouk Stadium in central Gaza City. **Radio Voice of Al-Aqsa** announced on Telegram that Douaa Charaf, a radio presenter, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit her home. **Context of continuing Raids:** Israeli forces have conducted sustained airstrikes on Gaza for several days, resulting in widespread destruction of neighborhoods and thousands of casualties. **Death Toll Update:** Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported Wednesday night that Israeli airstrikes since October 7 have resulted in 6,546 deaths, including 2,704 children, 1,584 women, and 364 elderly individuals. Sources [1](https://www.aa.com.tr/fr/monde/une-journaliste-palestinienne-tu%C3%A9e-lors-dun-bombardement-isra%C3%A9lien-sur-gaza/3032863) [2](https://www.womeninjournalism.org/threats-all/gaza-radio-presenter-duaa-sharaf-killed-by-israeli-airstrike-on-her-home) [3](https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/palestinian-journalist-her-child-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-on-gaza-15555102)

The residential building was destroyed along [with neighbouring houses](https://x.com/Hakeam_ps/status/1717176976778076176) by an Israeli "firebelt" airstrike on the residential block in Al-Jalaa Street, Gaza City around 4 pm. [40 people were killed](https://x.com/Paltodaytv/status/1717226298995610034) The residential block was comprised of Al-Taj 3 and Juwaid residential buildings, and the houses of Hanoun, Mansour, Jadallah, and Akila [families](https://x.com/Hamzaalnamla1/status/1717177674685182165), as well as Al-Sharq [bakery](https://x.com/sameh2655014316/status/1717190437599949237) Testimony from Dr. Izzeddin Shaheen who was treating the injured at Al-Shifa hospital: "*This photo was taken by the martyred Dr. Fidaa from the operations at Al-Shifa Hospital on the first day of the war. On this day a year ago, Israel committed a massacre by targeting the Al-Taj building and its surroundings. The event, despite its enormity, did not receive the attention it deserved at that time due to the interruption of communications and the Internet. I remember well the huge number of injuries. *Most of the injuries were serious, you could barely find a place to put your foot between the bodies of the injured. I was carrying dozens of blood units and randomly placing them on the injured. Everyone was bleeding and there were no operating rooms available. As soon as I finished distributing blood to the injured, I would return to the first injured person and find him dead, and so on, everyone was bleeding. *Everyone was bleeding to death and we had nothing to do for them. We didn't feel the time passing until midnight, then we learned that one of our colleagues' daughters had died in the hospital while he was working with us and was busy with her, so we all started crying. Bitter crying, the whole department is crying, everyone hides their faces and cries, crying for everyone, for the injured and for the poor girl. The poor girl crowded the bodies of the massacre's martyrs with her body to find a grave to hold her, and the martyr Fidaa ascended a few days later with her children. A whole year has passed and we are still living under genocide."   

On October 19, 2023, at around 8:30 pm, an Israeli strike hit a building adjacent to the centuries-old Greek Orthodox St. Porphyrius Church on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, in Gaza city. The blast destroyed parts of the church complex where hundreds of displaced civilians were reportedly taking shelter. **The church:** Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius | Name (Arabic): كنيسة القديس برفيريوس للروم الأرثوذكس Located in Gaza City, in the Zaytoun (الزيتون) neighborhood — one of the oldest churches in the world, dating back to the 5th century. Affiliation: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem **Victims:** Amid the 23 civilians killed, there were ten children, eight women and five men across three families. Sources reported at least 18 more civilians were injured, though by some accounts there were ‘dozens’ of wounded civilians, and potentially hundreds more under the rubble. The three families identified with multiple civilian casualties were the Al-Amash family, Al-Souri family and Al-Tarazi family. The Higher Presidential Committee of Churches Affairs in Palestine (HCC) described scenes with “entire families whose names were erased from civil records, children whose body parts were found under the rubble, and a girl no more than 4 months old who was found martyred in the arms of her grandmother who was also martyred.” The Holy Orthodox Foundation of Saint George, quoted by @ytirawi on Twitter/X, claimed that Israeli forces targeted “the hall of the church with four missiles”, while The Guardian reported that “a missile brought down part of the complex”. Ibrahim Al-Souri, a survivor, interviewed by Al-Jazeera, told the media that “two raids” hit the building. **IDF spin:** On Twitter/X, @AvichayAdraee, the IDF Spokesperson, declared that Israeli forces intended to strike a target adjacent to the church, allegedly used as a Hamas command center. *"Statement regarding the airstrike that targeted an area near the Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza: Israeli Air Force warplanes struck, the day before yesterday, a command and control center belonging to a Hamas operative involved in launching rockets and mortar shells toward Israel, in the Zaytoun neighborhood. This command center was used to carry out attacks against Israel and contained infrastructure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization. Any damage resulting from the Israeli airstrike was collateral and unintended. The Israel Defense Forces can state unequivocally that the church was not the target of this strike. Hamas deliberately places its operational facilities within populated civilian areas, exploiting the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields. In order to reduce harm to civilians, the Israel Defense Forces have requested residents of northern Gaza to evacuate southward beyond Wadi Gaza. The IDF continues to urge residents of northern Gaza to evacuate the area in accordance with military instructions."* **Name of the martyrs:** Al-Amash / Al-Souri Families 1. Yara Grace Al-Amsh – يارا العمش, 23 years old ♀ │ Wife of Sobhi Al-Souri │ MoH ID 405957218 2. Juliet Sobhi Al-Souri – جوليت صبحي الصوري, 1 year old ♀ │ Daughter of Yara │ MoH ID 445846819 3. George Sobhi Al-Souri – جورج صبحي الصوري, Under 1 ♂ │ Son of Yara │ MoH ID 445239171 4. Samaa Al-Amash – سما العمش, Under 1 ♀ │ Daughter of Miral and Atallah 5. Grace Issa Al-Amash – جريس عيسى العمش, Adult ♀ 6. Tariq Sami Al-Souri – طارق الصوري, 37 ♂ │ MoH ID 801483959 7. Lisa Walid Souri – ليزا الصوري, 32 ♀ │ Wife of Tariq │ MoH ID 803689009 8. Issa Tariq Al-Souri – عيسى الصوري, 12 ♂ │ Son of Tariq and Lisa │ MoH ID 432257384 9. Ghada Al-Souri – غادة الصوري, Adult ♀ │ Wife of Ramez Al-Souri 10. Suhail Ramez Al-Souri – سهيل رامز الصوري, 14 ♂ │ Child of Ramez and Ghada │ MoH ID 427456660 11. Majd Ramez Al-Souri – ماجد رامز الصوري, 7 ♂ │ Child of Ramez and Ghada │ MoH ID 433213493 12. Julie Ramez Al-Souri – جويل رامز الصوري, 9 ♀ │ Child of Ramez and Ghada │ MoH ID 431576370 13. Abdel Nour Sami Al-Souri – عبد النور الصوري, Adult ♂ │ MoH ID 803471143 14. Viola Al-Amsh – فيولا العمش, 26 ♀ │ Wife of Abdel Nour │ MoH ID 403253248 15. Alia Abdelnour Al-Souri – علياء الصوري, Under 1 ♀ │ Daughter of Abdel Nour and Viola │ MoH ID 444170781 Tarazi Family/ 16. Marwan Salim Tarazi – مروان ترزي, 64 ♂ │ MoH ID 922295985 17. Nahid Rahuf Musa Tarazi – ناهد ترزي, 60 ♀ │ Wife of Marwan │ MoH ID 922296090 18. Joelle Attala Al-Amash – جويل عطالله العمش, Under 1 ♀ │ Granddaughter of Marwan and Nahid │ MoH ID 444370142 19. Dr Suleiman Jamil Tarazi – سليمان ترزي, 35 ♂ 20. Elaine Helmi Tarazi – الينا ترزي, 9 ♀ 21. Eva Salim Musa Tarazi – ايفا سليم موسى ترزي, Adult ♀ Other Individuals: 22. Christine Al-Turk – كريسين الترك, Child ♀ 23. Nassem Saba – نسيم سابا, Adult ♂ **Names of some injured:** 1. Sobhi Al-Souri – صبحي الصوري, Adult ♂ 2. Lily Saba – ليلي سابا, 15 ♀ │ Wife of Suleiman Tarazi 3. Jad Tarazi – جاد ترزي, 7 ♂ │ Son of Suleiman and Lily

**On 17 October 2023,** an explosion occurred in the car park of al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City occupied by a tent city housing displaced people fleeing the Israeli intense aerial bombing campaign. The Gaza Health Ministry reported 471 fatalities and 342 injuries; US intelligence estimates casualties between 100-300. **In the hours after the blast, doctors working at al-Ahli held a press conference amongst the bodies** of those killed in the blast. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta stated, *‘We were performing surgery at the Baptist hospital when a strong explosion occurred and the ceiling fell on the operating room… This is a massacre’*. ### **Israel revendication, then denial and hasbara** Initially, a top aide for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hananya Naftali, took responsibility for the attack, stating in a tweet: *“Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza. A multiple number of terrorists are dead. It’s heartbreaking that Hamas is launching rockets from hospitals, Mosques, schools and using civilians as human shields.”* The tweet was quickly deleted, however, and a new Israeli version emerged. **Israel denies it's responsabily and rejects on Hamas** : Israeli officials claimed the blast was due to a misfired rocket from Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). They pointed to video footage showing a mid-air explosion they allege was responsible. **IDF false audio recording** On October 18,, IDF released an audio recording purportedly containing an intercepted conversation between two Hamas operatives saying that a misfired rocket launched by PIJ caused the explosion. Channel 4 News reported on a forensic analysis of the alleged Hamas operative audio released by the IDF, concluding that it was digitally manipulated. Two Arabic language journalists said that the recording did not appear authentic, because the "language, accent, dialect, syntax and tone" were not credible. Channel 4 News also reported on a preliminary audio assessment performed by a sonic analysis company called Earshot, which concluded that the audio recording had been edited to fuse two channels that were recorded separately, one for each speaker. Palestinian authorities and local reports attribute the explosion to an Israeli airstrike. ### Independant investiation **Forensic Analysis:** Analysis disputes the Israeli claim, suggesting that footage shows an Israeli interceptor, not a misfired Palestinian rocket. The explosion’s trajectory and timing do not align with Israel's explanation. Open-source footage analysis confirmed that the seventeen rockets fired from Gaza had burned out mid-flight, making them unlikely to cause the hospital blast. **Evidence and Verification:** Investigations by the New York Times and the Washington Post corroborated that the footage presented by Israel showed an interceptor rather than a misfired Experts identified the explosion’s altitude and trajectory, concluding it was an Israeli interceptor operating outside Gaza. **Context of Israeli Attacks on Medical Facilities:** Four days before the explosion, Israel ordered evacuations of hospitals in northern Gaza, including al-Ahli. WHO react to this international law violation by a [statement](https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/evacuation-orders-by-israel-to-hospitals-in-northern-gaza-are-a-death-sentence-for-the-sick-and-injured.html), on October 14 : *"tens of thousands of displaced people in northern Gaza are seeking refuge in open spaces in or around hospitals, treating them as havens from violence as well as to protect the facilities from potential attacks. Their lives, too, are at risk when health facilities are bombed. There are verified reports of deaths of health care workers and destruction of health facilities, which denies civilians the basic human right of life-saving health care and is prohibited under International Humanitarian Law.WHO calls for Israel to immediately reverse evacuation orders to hospitals in northern Gaza, and calls for the protection of health facilities, health workers, patients, and civilians. WHO also reiterates its calls for the immediate and safe delivery of medical supplies, fuel, clean water, food, and other humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, where life-saving assistance – including WHO health supplies that arrived earlier today – is currently awaiting entry"* It was later confirmed by the Archibishop of Jerusalem (Al Ahli hospital is an Anglican Christian health infrastructure) in a press conference that Israeli forces targeted the hospital’s cancer treatment ward on 14 October. The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 51 attacks on medical infrastructure in Gaza in the ten days prior to the explosion. ## Sources **Human Right Watch** ["Gaza: Findings on October 17 al-Ahli Hospital Explosion. Evidence Points to Misfired Rocket but Full Investigation Needed](https://hrw.org/news/2023/11/26/gaza-findings-october-17-al-ahli-hospital-explosion) **BBC first investigation** (by footage analysis and with US and UK weapon experts) [source](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67144061) **[Forensic architecture investigation](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/israeli-disinformation-al-ahli-hospital)** published on February 15, 2024. **Forensic Architecture Conclusion's report **: *"While what happened at al-Ahli remains inconclusive, it is clear that in the aftermath of the explosion, the Israeli military launched an aggressive disinformation campaign. As it stands, Israel has yet to provide any conclusive visual evidence to support the claim that the source of the deadly blast at al-Ahli hospital was a Hamas or PIJ rocket. It is also worth noting that four days before the explosion at al-Ahli, on 13 October, Israel ordered the evacuation of all northern hospitals, including al-Ahli; and the following day, an Israeli strike on the hospital’s cancer treatment ward was confirmed by Al-Haq (Israel is known to issue warning strikes prior to full scale attacks). This incident was hardly an anomaly. In the ten days prior, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 51 attacks on medical infrastructure in Gaza. By aggregating news reports from Al-Jazeera, Alaraby, and Shehab News since 7 October, our analysis shows that Israeli intimidation and attacks on medical infrastructure, including hospitals, has been systematic and unrelenting, following a consistent pattern defined by attacks on the surrounding area, direct targeting, siege, and occupation."* Channel 4 reporting and [first investigation.](https://www.channel4.com/news/who-was-behind-the-gaza-hospital-blast-visual-investigation) NYT [investigation ](rocket.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/world/middleeast/gaza-hospital-israel-hamas-video.html)