November 18, 2019 Overview · 20 Ahmed Hassan Yousef al-Kurdi Male 28 Killed in an IDF attack on November 12, 2019, in east Rafah Popular Resistance Committees’ military wing 21

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)מ"למ( ןיעידומה תשרומל זכרמה רורטלו ןיעידומל עדימה זכרמ




Overview On November 12-14, 2019, a round of escalation took place in the Gaza Strip following the

killing of Bahaa Abu al-Atta, a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). In

response to his killing, the PIJ fired about 560 rockets to Israeli territory. The IDF attacked

terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, mostly belonging to the PIJ. Among the attacked targets

were rocket launching squads before and after a launch; rocket launching sites; weapons

depots; a plant for manufacturing long-distance rockets; training compounds; outposts;

operations rooms and observation posts, as well as underground facilities of the PIJ.

Photo of Bahaa Abu al-Atta published on the website of the PIJ’s military wing. The text underneath his photo reads, “The campaign continues and the account is open”

(Al-Quds Brigades website, November 17, 2019).

Identity of the Palestinian fatalities in the latest

round of escalation in the Gaza Strip (findings of a preliminary examination)

November 18, 2019

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The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that 34 Palestinians had been

killed in the latest round of escalation (with Bahaa Abu al-Atta and his wife among them).

From within the 34 killed Palestinians, at least 18 (about 53%) were identified as military

operatives, most of them (13) operatives of the PIJ’s military wing, who were the targets

in most of the attacks. In addition, several fatalities were identified as belonging to minor

terror networks, most of them operatives of Fatah splinter networks who took part in firing at

Israel. Among the fatalities, there was a prominent number of operatives of the rocket

launching network, who were killed while attempting to fire at Israel (which is an

indication of the efficiency of the Israeli security forces in thwarting the firing attacks). In

addition, nine civilians were killed, most of them members of one family in Deir al-Balah,

whose home was attacked by the IDF as a result of mistaken identification (the case is under

an IDF examination). A Hamas military operative was also killed, and another operative

affiliated with Hamas. The large number of PIJ operatives who were killed reflects its central

role in the last round of escalation (while Hamas refrained from joining the fighting).

Following are the main findings of a preliminary examination of the identity of the fatalities:

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ): A total of 13 fatalities were identified as PIJ

operatives, all of them operatives of the PIJ’s military wing (prominent among

them was the number of operatives killed during attempts to fire rockets at Israel).

Hamas: Two Hamas operatives were identified. One of them was identified as an

operative of Hamas’s military wing. Another operative is either affiliated with Hamas

or a member of a family affiliated with Hamas (his body was wrapped in the Hamas

flag).

Fatah splinter networks: Three fatalities were identified as operatives of the Al-

Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade (a Fatah splinter network which

apparently actively participated in the fighting).

Fatah: Two fatalities were identified as Fatah members.

Popular Resistance Committees (PRC): Two operatives were identified as PRC

operatives who apparently actively participated in the fighting.

Non-identified: Regarding three of the fatalities, so far it was not possible to

unequivocally determine whether they were terrorist operatives or civilians.

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Civilians: At least nine civilians were killed in the attack. Seven of them were killed

in an attack in Deir al-Balah as a result of mistaken identification of the house that was

attacked.

Summary of the identity of the fatalities (according to the ITIC's initial examination)

Organization Military wing Affiliated with the organization

Total killed

PIJ 13, including Bahaa al-Atta

13

Hamas One military wing operative

Two affiliated with Hamas

2

Fatah

Two (one of them was identified as former member of Force 17 – the Presidential Guard)

2

PRC Two military wing operatives

2

Fatah splinter groups

Three operatives of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade

3

Non-identified 3

3

Civilians Nine (including the wife of Bahaa al-Atta)

9

Total 34 fatalities

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Basic information on the fatalities (findings of a preliminary examination)

Name Gender Age Circumstances of death

Organizational affiliation

1 Bahaa Salim Hassan Abu al-

Atta (Abu Salim)

Male 42 Died in a targeted killing on November

12, 2019, at his home in Al-Shejaiyah

The PIJ’s military wing

2 Ibrahim Ahmed Abdul Latif al-

Dabous

Male 26 Killed in an IDF attack on

November 12, 2019


3 Zaki Adnan Mohammad Ghanameh


November 12, 2019


4 Abdullah Awad Sakib al-Bilbeisi


November 12, 2019


5 Abdul Salam Ramadan Ahmed

Ahmed


November 12, 2019


6 Khaled Moawad Salem Farraj


November 13, 2019


7 Ala Jabr Abdul Shteiwi


November 13, 2019


8 Suhail Khader Khalil Quneitah


November 13, 2019, in Al-Tuffah


9 Mahmoud Daham

Mahmoud Huthot




10 Momen Mohammed

Salman Qaddum


November 13, 2019, in Al-Shejaiyah


11

Mohammed Abdullah Suleiman Shurrab


November 13, 2019, in Khan Younes


12 Haitham Hafez Mohammed al-

Bakri


November 13, 2019,


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in Khan Younes 13 Yousef Rizk

Khalil Abu Kamil Male 35 Killed in an IDF

attack on November 13, 2019,

in Al-Tuffah


14 Islam Raafat Mohammed Ayad


November 13, 2019, in Al-Zeitoun

Affiliated with Hamas. His body was wrapped in the Hamas flag

15 Amir Raafat Mohammed Ayad



Boy

16 Ibrahim Ayman Fathi Abdel Aal



Non-identified

17 Ismail Ayman Fathi Abdel Aal



Non-identified

18 Ahmed Ayman Fathi Abdel Aal



Hamas’s military wing

19 Mohammed Hassan

Mohammed Moammar


November 13, 2019, in east Rafah

Popular Resistance

Committees’ military wing

20 Ahmed Hassan Yousef al-Kurdi


November 12, 2019, in east Rafah

Popular Resistance

Committees’ military wing

21 Mohammed Attia Musleh Hamouda


November 12, 2019, in west Beit Lahiya

Affiliated with Fatah

22 Raafat Mohammed

Salman Ayad



Former officer in Fatah’s Force 17

(Presidential Guard)

23 Wael Abdul Aziz Abdullah Abdul

Nabi


November 12, 2019, in Beit Lahiya

Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades / Nidal

al-Amoudi Brigade (Fatah

splinter

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network) 24 Rani Fayez

Ragab Abu Nasr (Abu Osama)



Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades / Nidal


splinter network)

25 Jihad Ayman Ahmed Abu

Khater



Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades / Nidal


splinter network)

26 Asma Mohammed

Hassan Abu Atta

Female 39 Bahaa Abu al-Atta’s wife; died in his targeted killing

Civilian

27 Rasmi Salem Odeh al-

Sawarkah (also referred to as

Rasmi Abu Malhous)

Male 45 Killed by mistake in an attack on the

house of Abu Malhous in Deir al-

Balah

Unclear whether affiliated with

the PIJ or Fatah

28 Maryam Salem Nasser al-Sawarkah

Female 45 Killed by mistake in an attack on the

house of Abu Malhous in Deir al-

Balah

Civilian

29 Yousra Mohammed Awwad al-Sawarkah

Female 39 Killed by mistake in an attack on the house in Deir al-

Balah

Civilian

30 Muath Mohammed

Salem al-Sawarkah

Male 7 Killed by mistake in an attack on the house in Deir al-

Balah

Civilian

31 Wasim Mohammed

Salem al-Sawarkah


Balah

Civilian

32 Muhannad Rasmi Salem Al-Sawarkah


Balah

Boy

33 Firas Rasmi al-Sawarkah

Male Boy Killed by mistake in an attack on the house in Deir al-

Balah

Boy

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34 Salem Rasmi al-Sawarkah

Male Boy Killed by mistake in an attack on the house in Deir al-

Balah

Boy

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Appendix A Identification of the names of the Palestinian fatalities in the last round of escalation PIJ fatalities

Bahaa Salim Abu al-Atta (Abu Salim):

Personal information: 42 years old

Circumstances of death: Died on November 12, 2019, in a targeted killing by the IDF

in the house where he was staying in the eastern neighborhood of Al-Shejaiyah in Gaza

City.

Organizational affiliation: Senior operative of the Al-Quds Brigades, the PIJ’s

military wing. Served as the Northern Brigade Commander of the PIJ’s military wing in

the Gaza Strip.

Bahaa Abu al-Atta, PIJ’s Northern Brigade Commander in the Gaza Strip (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 12, 2019)

Bahaa Abu al-Atta’s funeral in Gaza (Facebook page of the Gazan journalist Hassan Aslih, November 12, 2019)

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Ibrahim Ahmed Abdul Latif al-Dabous:


Circumstances of death: Died of wounds sustained during an IDF attack on

November 12, 2019, that targeted two operatives riding a motorcycle in western Beit

Lahiya.

Organizational affiliation: The PIJ’s military wing, Al-Quds Brigades, announced

that Ibrahim Ahmed al-Dabous had been an operative in the rocket unit of the

Northern Brigade in the Gaza Strip (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 12, 2019).

Ibrahim al-Dabous wearing the Al-Quds Brigades uniform. It was stated that he was an operative of the rocket unit (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, November 12, 2019)

Zaki Adnan Mohammad Ghanameh:


Circumstances of death: On November 12, 2019, an IDF aircraft attacked several

operatives of the PIJ rocket unit in the northern Gaza Strip. The operatives were

preparing to launch rockets (IDF’s Twitter account, November 12, 2019). The

Palestinian media reported that the attack targeted a group of “resistance” operatives

in Beit Lahiya (Maan, November 12, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: The PIJ’s military wing announced that Zaki Adnan

Mohammad Ghanameh had been an operative in the rocket unit of the Northern

Brigade in the Gaza Strip (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 12, 2019).

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Zaki Ghanameh, operative of the rocket unit of the Al-Quds Brigades (Filastin al-Aan Twitter account, November 12, 2019)

Abdullah Awad Sakib al-Bilbeisi:


Circumstances of death: An IDF aircraft attacked two PIJ operatives in the northern

Gaza Strip who were preparing to launch rockets (IDF’s Twitter account, November

12, 2019). The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health reported his death as a result of an airstrike

by a UAV in Beit Hanoun (QudsN, November 12, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: The PIJ’s military wing announced that he had been an

operative in the Gaza Strip’s Northern Brigade (Al-Quds Brigades website, November

12, 2019).

Abdullah al-Bilbeisi, operative of the Al-Quds Brigades (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 12, 2019)

Abdul Salam Ramadan Ahmed Ahmed:


Circumstances of death: An IDF aircraft attacked two PIJ operatives in the northern

Gaza Strip who were preparing to launch rockets (IDF’s Twitter account, November

12, 2019). The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health reported his death as a result of an airstrike

by a UAV in Beit Hanoun (QudsN, November 12, 2019).

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Organizational affiliation: The PIJ’s military wing announced that he had been an

operative in the Gaza Strip’s Northern Brigade (Al-Quds Brigades website, November

12, 2019).

Abdul Salam Ramadan Ahmed Ahmed, operative of the Al-Quds Brigades (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 12, 2019)

Khaled Moawad Salem Farraj:


Circumstances of death: He was killed in an attack on November 13, 2019, in the

Magharaqa area (south of Gaza City) (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: The PIJ’s military wing announced that he had been one

of its commanders in the Central Brigade of the Gaza Strip (Al-Quds Brigades website,

November 13, 2019).

Khaled Farraj (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, November 13, 2019)

Ala Jabr Shteiwi:


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Circumstances of death: He was killed in an attack on November 13, 2019, in the Al-

Zeitoun neighborhood in east Gaza City (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13,

2019).

Organizational affiliation: He was an operative in the PIJ military wing’s Gaza

Brigade (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019).

Ala Shteiwi (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

Suhail Khader Khalil Quneitah:

Personal information: 28 years old (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)


Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human

Rights, November 13, 2019).



Suhail Quneitah (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

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Mahmoud Daham Mahmoud Huthot:



Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human




Mahmoud Huthot (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

Momen Mohammad Salman Qaddum:


Circumstances of death: He was killed on November 13, 2019, in an airstrike while

riding a motorcycle in the neighborhood of Al-Shejaiyah in east Gaza City. A man who

was riding with him was severely wounded (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human




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Momen Qaddum (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

Mohammad Abdullah Suleiman Shurrab:


Circumstances of death: He was killed on November 13, 2019, in an attack in the Al-

Manarah neighborhood in Khan Younes (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13,

2019). According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, an IDF aircraft attacked several

operatives of the rocket unit of the PIJ in the southern Gaza Strip while they were

launching rockets (IDF’s Twitter account, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: He was an operative of the PIJ military wing’s Khan

Younes Brigade (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019).

Mohammad Shurrab (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

Haitham Hafez Mohammed al-Bakri:


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Manarah neighborhood in Khan Younes (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13,

2019). According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, an IDF aircraft attacked several

operatives of the PIJ rocket network in the southern Gaza Strip while they were

launching rockets (IDF’s Twitter account, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: He was an operative of the PIJ military wing’s Khan

Younes Brigade (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019).

Haitham al-Bakri (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

Yousef Rizk Khalil Abu Kamil:

Personal information: 35 years old (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019).

From the Gaza neighborhood of Al-Daraj (Twitter account of his cousin, abokmail-3bod,

November 13, 2019).


Zarqa area (in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood) in Gaza City (Al-Quds Brigades website,

November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: He was an operative of the PIJ military wing’s Gaza


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Yousef Abu Kamil (Al-Quds Brigades website, November 13, 2019)

Hamas fatalities

Islam Raafat Mohammed Ayad:

Personal information: 24 years old. Resident of the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood in

east Gaza City (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November 13, 2019).

Served as an imam in the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood

(website of the Gaza Strip Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf), November 13, 2019).

Circumstances of death: He was killed in an attack on November 13, 2019, while

riding a motorcycle near his home in the vicinity of Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Al-

Zeitoun neighborhood (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November

13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: His body was wrapped in the Hamas flag during his

funeral (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, November 13, 2019).

Right: Islam Ayad (website of the Gaza Strip Ministry of Endowments, November 13, 2019). Left: His body wrapped with the Hamas flag during his funeral and that of his father and brother

(Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, November 13, 2019)

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Ahmed Ayman Fathi Abdel Aal:

Personal information: 23 years old (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human


Circumstances of death: He was killed on November 13, 2019, in an attack against a

building owned by his father in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of

the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: Hamas’s military wing Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades

announced that Ahmed Ayman Abdel Aal was one of its operatives (Filastin al-Aan,

November 15, 2019). In the funeral of Ahmed and his two brothers, one of the bodies

was wrapped in the Hamas flag while the other two bodies were wrapped in the

Palestinian flag, which was later replaced with the Hamas flag (Gaza Press Twitter

account, November 13, 2019; Shehab Facebook page, November 13, 2019).

Ahmed Abdel Aal in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam uniform (Filastin al-Aan, November 15, 2019)

Ibrahim Ayman Fathi Abdel Aal:




building owned by his father in Al-Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of the

Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November 13, 2019). His two brothers were killed

along with him.

Organizational affiliation: Unclear.

Ismail Ayman Fathi Abdel Aal:



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building owned by his father in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of

the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: Unclear.

Right: The bodies of the three brothers during the funeral prayers in the mosque (Gaza Press Twitter account, November 13, 2019). Left: The bodies wrapped in the Hamas flag during the

funeral procession (Shehab Facebook page, November 13, 2019)

Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) / Salah al-Din Brigades

Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Moammar:

Personal information: 25 years old (website of the PRC’s military wing, November

13, 2019) from Rafah (Twitter account of journalist Baker Nofal, November 13, 2019).

Circumstances of death: He was killed on November 13, 2019, in an attack in east

Rafah (website of the PRC’s military wing, November 13, 2019; Twitter account of

journalist Baker Nofal, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: Operative in the rocket unit of the Rafah Brigade in the

PRC’s military wing, Salah al-Din Brigades (website of the PRC’s military wing,

November 13, 2019).

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Mohammed Hassan Moammar (website of the PRC’s military wing, November 13, 2019)

Ahmad Hassan Yousef al-Kurdi:

Personal information: 25 years old (website of the PRC’s military wing, November

13, 2019) from Rafah (Twitter account of journalist Baker Nofal, November 13, 2019).

Circumstances of death: He was killed on November 13, 2019, in an attack in east

Rafah (website of the PRC’s military wing, November 13, 2019; Twitter account of

journalist Baker Nofal, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: Operative in the rocket unit of the Rafah Brigade in the

PRC’s military wing, Salah al-Din Brigades (website of the PRC’s military wing,

November 13, 2019).

Ahmad al-Kurdi (website of the PRC’s military wing, November 13, 2019)

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Fatah

Mohammad Attia Musleh Hamouda:

Personal information: 20 years old. Resident of Jabaliya.

Circumstances of death: He was killed in an IDF attack on November 12, 2019,

against two operatives riding on a motorcycle in west Beit Lahiya (PalToday,

November 12, 2019; i24NEWS website, November 12, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: The Fatah branch in the northern Gaza Strip issued a

death notice, which stated that Hamouda had been one of its operatives

(fateh.m.n.north.gaza Facebook page, November 12, 2019).

Right: Fatah’s death notice for Hamouda (Facebook page of Osama al-Shawish, November 12, 2019). Left: Hamouda’s body wrapped in the Fatah flag in his funeral in Jabaliya

(Facebook page of Ahmad bin Mahmoud, November 12, 2019)

Raafat Mohammed Salman Ayad:

Personal information: 54 years old (Maan, November 13, 2019) or 50 years old.

Resident of the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of the Al-Mezan

Center for Human Rights, November 13, 2019).

Circumstances of death: He was killed in an IDF attack on November 13, 2019, while

riding a motorcycle near his home, in the vicinity of Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Al-

Zeitoun neighborhood (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November

13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: He was a former officer in Fatah’s Force 17 (the PA

Presidential Guard). His body was wrapped in the Fatah flag (Fatah’s official Facebook

page, November 13, 2019).

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Right: Raafat Ayad (Fatah’s official Facebook page, November 13, 2019). Left: His body wrapped in the Fatah flag, in the funeral of Raafat and his two sons (Twitter account of journalist Hassan

Aslih, November 13, 2019)

Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade (Fatah splinter network)

Wael Abdul Aziz Abdullah Abdul Nabi (Abu al-Abd):

Personal information: 43 years old.

Circumstances of death: Killed in an IDF aircraft attack in the northern Gaza Strip

on November 12, 2019. He was an operative in a squad that launched rockets at

Israeli territory (IDF Twitter account, November 12, 2019). The Palestinian media

reported that he had been killed in an attack on a “resistance” post in northern Beit

Lahiya (Dunia al-Watan, November 12, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade

(a Fatah splinter network) announced that he had been the commander of the rocket

unit (website of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade, November 12,

2019).

Rani Fayez Ragab Abu Nasr (Abu Osama):








(a Fatah splinter network) announced that he had been a member of the rocket unit

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(website of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade, November 12,

2019).

Jihad Ayman Ahmed Abu Khater:








(a Fatah splinter group) announced that he had been a member of the rocket unit

(website of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade, November 12,

2019).

Right: Jihad Abu Khater (Abu Ilyas), Wael Abdul Nabi (Abu al-Abd), and Rani Abu Nasr (Abu Osama) (website of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades / Nidal al-Amoudi Brigade, November 12, 2019)

Civilians

Asma Mohammed Hassan Abu Atta:

Personal information: 39 years old. Wife of Bahaa Abu al-Atta, commander of the

Al-Quds Brigades’ Northern Brigade.

Circumstances of death: Died on November 12, 2019, in a targeted killing of Abu

Atta in a building in the Al-Shejaiyah neighborhood where Bahaa Abu al-Atta was

staying.

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Amir Raafat Mohammed Ayad:

Personal information: boy, 8 or 9 years old. Resident of the Al-Zeitoun

neighborhood in east Gaza City (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights,

November 13, 2019).

Circumstances of death: Killed in an attack on November 13, 2019, while riding a

motorcycle near his home in the vicinity of Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Al-Zeitoun

neighborhood (website of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, November 13, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: His family is apparently affiliated with Hamas. His body

was wrapped in the Hamas flag during his funeral (Twitter account of journalist Hassan

Aslih, November 13, 2019).

The house of Abu Malhous (Al-Sawarkah) family

On November 14, 2019, the IDF attacked a house in Deir al-Balah. Eight members of the

same family were killed in the attack, seven of them civilians, as a result of mistaken

identification of the attacked target.1 The Israeli media reported that the IDF was investigating

the incident (Walla, November 15, 2019). Following are the names of the fatalities and

preliminary information about them.

The house of the Abu Malhous (Al-Sawarkah) family in Deir al-Balah after the attack (Facebook

page of journalist Hassan Aslih, November 14, 2019)

Rasmi Salem Odeh al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Also referred to in the media as Rasmi Abu Malhous

(PALINFO, November 14, 2019). 45 years old.

1 On November 22, 2019, the spokesman of the Gaza Ministry of Health announced that Mohammed Salem Odeh al-Sawarkah had died of his wounds. Thus, the number of family members who were killed by mistake in Rafah rose to 9, and the overall number of fatalities to 35.

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Circumstances of death: Killed in an attack on the house of the Abu Malhous family

in Deir al-Balah. Rami Abu Malhous and his family were living in the house, as well as

his brother Sa’id Abu Malhous and his family (Facebook page of the clan council of the

Al-Sawarkah tribe, November 14, 2019).

Organizational affiliation: The IDF Spokesman for the Arab media presented Abu

Malhous as a senior operative in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Facebook page of the

IDF Spokesman for the Arab media, November 14, 2019). PIJ Spokesman Daoud Shehab

said that Rasmi Abu Malhous was neither a commander nor senior figure in the

Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The spokesman added that he was known in his area as a PIJ

member. On the other hand, neighbors of the family said that Rasmi Abu Malhous was

an officer in the Military Police of the Palestinian Authority (AFP, November 14, 2019).

Residents of the neighborhood said that Rasmi Abu Malhous was not affiliated with any

military faction but rather he was working in the Palestinian Authority (Al-Hayat al-

Jadida, November 14, 2019). The Fatah branch in the Central Gaza Strip Province issued

a death notice for Rasmi Abu Malhous and his family. It stated that he was a Fatah

operative and one of the Military Intelligence Apparatus commanders (Facebook page

of the Fatah branch in the Central Gaza Strip Province, November 14, 2019).

Right: Rasmi Abu Malhous according to the IDF Spokesman for the Arab media (Facebook page of the IDF Spokesman for the Arab media, November 14, 2019). Left: Rasmi Abu Malhous according to the Fatah branch in the Central Gaza Strip Province (Facebook page of the Fatah branch in the

Central Gaza Strip Province, November 14, 2019)

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Three bodies of the Abu Malhous family wrapped in the PIJ flag and the rest in the Fatah flag (Shehab Facebook page, November 14, 2019)

Maryam Salem Nasser al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Also referred to in the media as Maryam Abu Malhous. 45

years old.

Circumstances of death: Killed in an IDF attack on November 14, 2019, against the

house of the Abu Malhous (Al-Sawarkah) family in Deir al-Balah.

Yousra Mohammed Awwad al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Also referred to in the media as Yousra Abu Malhous. 39

years old.



Muath Mohammed Salem al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Also referred to in the media as Wasim Abu Malhous. 13

years old.



Muhannad Rasmi Salem al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Also referred to in the media as Muhannad Abu Malhous. 12

years old.



Firas Mohammed Salem al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Boy. His age was not mentioned.

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Salem Mohammed Salem al-Sawarkah:

Personal information: Boy. His age was not mentioned.



Documents

November 18, 2019 Overview · 20 Ahmed Hassan Yousef al-Kurdi Male 28 Killed in an IDF attack on November 12, 2019, in east Rafah Popular Resistance Committees’ military wing 21