Last December, a video emerged showing the bodies of a mother, father, and their four sons lying on a street in Gaza City. Next to them were a stretcher, shovels, and a makeshift white flag. A New York Times investigation explores how they ended up there and who was responsible for their killing, disputing Israeli claims of crossfire.

Unlike most instances of mass civilian casualties, which are basically caused by distant bombings or rockets, this video captured a scenario where the aftermath of direct gunfire is visible amid the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Targeted and killed: A deep dive into the Gaza massacre

Abu Salah's family, all seemingly killed at once, were victims of Israeli gunfire, according to The New York Times investigation. When the Times presented its findings to the Israeli army, the response was not a denial of responsibility but an unsurprising claim that the area was an "active combat zone."

“#Massacre committed by the occupation: Bodies of martyrs from the Abu Salah family on the ground in Aleppo school near the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. #Gaza” pic.twitter.com/hn7R4eRlip

— SilencedSirs◼️ (@SilentlySirs) December 7, 2023

The Israeli army claimed, “The area in question is an active combat zone in the Jabaliya area, where the forces experienced many encounters with terrorists who fight and move in combat areas while wearing civilian clothes and disguised weapons in buildings and property that are seemingly civilian.”

However, The Times' analysis revealed that the family posed no threat and was targeted at close range with clear intent. The family had been forcibly displaced on October 8 from their home in northern Gaza and had sought refuge at a nearby school.

Unraveling the harrowing massacre

Hanadi Abu Salah, the sister of one of the deceased, described her harrowing experience. She was sheltering in a school just 200 feet away when her family was killed and heard the gunfire but did not know it was her family being targeted.

Hanadi recalled the tragic events, “We could not get out of the school because there were snipers by the school’s fence. We didn’t even know that it was my family who were being shot.”

The family had moved to Hamad bin Khalifa school next to the Indonesian hospital after their home was destroyed. The night before the killings, witnesses reported bulldozers at the hospital, indicating an Israeli invasion. Satellite imagery confirmed several buildings were destroyed overnight.

The next morning, Hanadi's teenage nephew, Assad, was shot by an Israeli sniper shortly after stepping outside. Hanadi provided The New York Times with a photo of Assad taken three hours before the family's killing, showing him in a white coffin soaked in blood. This photo also featured an orange stretcher matching the one seen with the deceased family members. Hanadi explained that the family was on their way back from burying Assad when they were shot.

In the afternoon, further gunfire was heard coming from the Indonesian Hospital, which was under Israeli occupation.

The New York Times’ analysis, including shadow analysis and soldier social media posts, suggested that the shootings occurred around 9 am.

Targeted fire not random shots 

Pathologist Dr. Nizam Peerwani noted that the bodies had likely been at the scene shortly after being shot, possibly within 1-2 hours.

Jonathan Priest, a former head of the Denver police homicide unit, indicated that the victims’ huddled position suggested they were defending themselves, not acting aggressively. He also noted that some of the fatal shots were fired while the victims were on the ground, trying to shield themselves.

Both experts concluded that the wounds were aimed at the upper body, indicating targeted fire rather than random shots. Neither the Israeli army nor any witnesses reported a confrontation with Palestinian Resistance fighters at the scene, ruling out the possibility of the killing being a result of crossfire.

Additionally, the father was carrying a white flag, a universal sign of surrender or non-threat, yet, tragically, civilians holding white flags have been targeted by Israeli occupation forces in other incidents.

Hanadi Abu Salah described her distress: “An entire night has passed where we had no news about my family.” She was deeply shocked to discover her family members scattered on the street.

“I was shocked to see my family scattered on the street – six people before my eyes.”