Investigation: An Israeli Airstrike Killed 15 Members of the "Abu Nahl" Family in Gaza

SadaNews - A new investigation by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has revealed the full details of a mass killing committed by the Israeli army against the "Abu Nahl" family in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, last year, in which 15 civilians, including 13 children and a woman, were killed without any warning or prior notice, or military necessity justifying the targeted and deliberate strike on the family.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor stated that the investigation published today, Monday, included a comprehensive field investigation regarding an airstrike carried out by the Israeli army on the evening of Saturday, February 17, 2024, where a warplane targeted a "family rest house" (chalet) located in the "Khirbat al-Adas" area northeast of Rafah Governorate, using two heavy American-made bombs, which led to the complete destruction of the site over the heads of its residents, without any prior warning or alert allowing civilians to escape with their lives.

The results of the investigation, which were based on efforts that extended over months and included a field examination of the crime scene, cross-examinations of survivors and eyewitnesses, and a technical analysis of digital materials, indicate that the targeted site was purely civilian, being a "chalet" rented by the family to stay in after they were displaced from their original residence. It is located in an open agricultural area separate from any other buildings, making it easy and accessible to aerial surveillance to distinguish it as a civilian object. The site and its surroundings were completely devoid of any military presence or activities of armed factions, which refutes any possible claims regarding "military necessity" and confirms that the aim was to kill as many safe civilians as possible.

The investigation debunked any possibility of the existence of military objectives justifying the strike, confirming that physical evidence and documents obtained by the Euro-Mediterranean Monitor's team, along with eyewitness testimonies, indicated that the head of the family, "Ibrahim Abu Nahl," was not involved in any political or party activity, spending most of his time in trade, as he was a well-known merchant in his surroundings before the onset of the genocide in October 2023, and continued to carry out his business during the genocide.

Data presented by the investigation confirmed that the victim "Ibrahim Abu Nahl" exhibited no unusual behavior indicating affiliation with any entity, living his life normally and conducting his business over the phone throughout the day, moving regularly back and forth to the Rafah crossing to collect his goods from flour, vegetables, or food products, and did not take any precautionary measures suggesting that he expected or feared being targeted.

In recounting the final moments leading up to the crime, the investigation documented a gathering of 16 members of the "Abu Nahl" family inside one of the chalet's rooms around a dinner table, in a family celebration occasioned by the marriage of their son "Abdullah" (26 years old) to his cousin "Mariam" (20 years old). At around 6:50 PM, the head of the family "Ibrahim Abu Nahl" (57 years old) arrived at the location coming from the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, where he worked in food and vehicle trading, and after entering the place for about ten minutes, the Israeli aircraft targeted the site and completely destroyed it.

The investigation documented testimonies from survivors and victims' relatives reflecting the magnitude of the crime; for instance, 16-year-old "Osama Ibrahim Abu Nahl," the sole survivor from all those inside the "chalet" at the moment of the attack, stated: "We were sitting in a happy family atmosphere celebrating my brother's wedding (...) At around six o'clock, without any prior warning, we found missiles falling on us. All I remember is that I was thrown into the air and lost consciousness. I woke up in the hospital with my body full of wounds and burns, and they put platinum rods in my arms and legs (...) I asked my brother: Where are my mom and dad? I want to see them, but I later learned that all those with me had been martyred."

In another testimony, "Sami Ibrahim Abu Nahl," a family member who miraculously survived after leaving the place moments before to buy groceries from a nearby store at his mother's request, said: "As soon as I arrived at the store, which is about 150 meters away, the sky lit up as if it were daytime, and I heard two successive explosions that shook the area (...) I hurried back only to find the chalet had been leveled to the ground, and in its place were two large craters (...) I searched for my family but found nothing but scattered remains (...) They all disappeared in an instant."

Regarding the retrieval of the victims of the crime, "Khalil Ibrahim Abu Nahl," a relative of the family who had been displaced to another area and rushed to the site upon hearing the news, reported to the Euro-Mediterranean Monitor team: "I found myself holding a plastic container gathering the remains of my family: my sister's head, my brother's leg, and his hand (...) I then went to the hospital but found only half of my father's body, and my brother's corpse without a head; the others had turned into small pieces due to the severity of the bombs."

The analysis conducted by the Euro-Mediterranean Monitor team of the damage, particularly the two deep craters left by the shelling, indicated that the Israeli warplane dropped two heavy bombs likely of the GBU-31 type (MK-84 bombs equipped with a JDAM guidance package), each weighing around 900 kilograms, which are munitions possessing tremendous destructive power intended for penetrating military fortifications; their use against a simple unfortified residential building led to the soil and bodies absorbing the explosion's force, resulting in total destruction of the place and the dismemberment of the victims' bodies into small pieces scattered throughout the area and reaching neighboring rooftops.

The crime did not stop at killing and destruction but also extended to violating the sanctity of the dead; the investigation documented the demolition of the graves of the family victims in May 2024, during the Israeli army's ground incursion into Rafah, which led to the destruction of graves and loss of their markers, in an act reflecting a deep commitment to erase the Palestinian existence and to dishonor human dignity even after death.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor warned that the Israeli army had not issued any statement at the time of writing the investigation clarifying the circumstances of its attack on the "chalet" where the "Abu Nahl" family was residing, and provided no justifications for the motives, objectives, and results of the attack, in a recurring pattern reflecting complete disregard for civilian lives and total neglect of its obligations to adhere to international humanitarian law.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor stressed that the use of excessive destructive force against an exposed civilian target, and without issuing any warning, proves the existence of "premeditated intent" to kill and inflict the maximum possible human casualties, placing this crime squarely within the scope of war crimes and crimes against humanity, representing additional material evidence of genocide that the International Court of Justice is currently considering.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor called on the international community to fulfill its obligations immediately to prevent and stop the genocide through obliging practical measures that go beyond verbal statements, including enforcing a permanent ceasefire and halting attacks on civilians and civilian shelters and displacement areas, and taking effective protective measures for civilian populations to prevent a recurrence of Israeli crimes against civilians.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor urged all relevant countries and entities to impose targeted political and economic sanctions that have a direct effect on those responsible for the most serious Israeli crimes, and on the entities that enable, finance, or provide them operational cover. This includes freezing assets, travel bans, cessation of military, security, and intelligence cooperation, and suspending bilateral agreements that grant material or technological advantages or research preferences that can contribute to the continuation of crimes or evasion of accountability, with an expansion of sanctions to encompass entities and companies providing critical equipment or services for targeting operations.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor urged states that have jurisdiction, including those applying universal jurisdiction, to open independent and effective criminal investigations into the Israeli crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, including genocide, and to issue warrants and arrest orders against those responsible along the command chain. It also called on the International Criminal Court to expedite its investigations in Palestine and expand its scope to include all involved parties at both political and military levels and to hasten the issuance of additional arrest warrants ensuring that perpetrators do not evade justice.