9-10-2023 (RAFAH) In a devastating turn of events, an Israeli airstrike targeted the home of Nasser Abu Quta in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of 19 members of his family, including his wife and cousins. The strike occurred following an evacuation warning issued by the Israeli military, meant to facilitate the safe exit of civilians before airstrikes were carried out.
Abu Quta, 57, believed that relocating to a house approximately a hundred meters away from his own would ensure the safety of his extended family. As they gathered on the ground floor, anticipating the impact, tragedy struck. Instead of hitting the neighboring house as intended, an explosion tore through Abu Quta’s home, claiming the lives of his loved ones. Additionally, five neighbors standing outside in the densely populated refugee camp also lost their lives.
The airstrike in Rafah, a town situated on the border with Egypt, was part of an escalated Israeli offensive against targets in the Gaza Strip. This response came after a major attack by Hamas militants on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of over 700 people in Israel. Hamas had also taken numerous Israelis hostage and launched thousands of rockets towards Israeli population centers, although the majority were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
As of Sunday night, health officials reported that the ongoing wave of airstrikes had resulted in the deaths of over 400 Palestinians, including many women and children. There were multiple instances of deadly airstrikes on crowded residential buildings.
Abu Quta expressed bewilderment as to why his house was targeted, emphasizing that there were no militants present. He and his family had received no warning, and had they been alerted, they would not have remained in their home. Abu Quta’s relative, Khalid, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that their house was a safe haven for children and women.
The Israeli military has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the strike on Abu Quta’s home. The army maintains that its airstrikes are aimed at precision targets, primarily militant commanders or operation sites, and that it does not intentionally target civilians. It also highlights the practice of Hamas militants embedding themselves in civilian areas throughout the densely populated enclave, which has been under a severe blockade by Israel and Egypt.
Nevertheless, human rights groups have criticized Israel’s track record of deadly attacks on residential homes, arguing that they demonstrate a disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians and may constitute war crimes. Previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas have seen numerous instances of Israeli airstrikes resulting in the deaths of large numbers of civilians, including the infamous case of 22 members of a single family killed in a strike during the 2021 war.
Abu Quta and his surviving relatives, including injured children and grandchildren, were overwhelmed with grief as they prepared to bury their loved ones. The bodies recovered from the rubble were charred and mutilated, with Abu Quta managing to identify 14 family members. However, the remains of at least four children remained unrecognizable, and one body was still missing.
As they faced the somber task of laying their family members to rest, Abu Quta expressed the hope that they could find solace in a collective burial. “May they rest in peace,” he said.
