Wahdan family, Beit Hanoun

On 22 July 2014, the Israeli forces bombarded the two-storey house of Zaki Abdel Rahman Wahdan, which is located in Al Boura neighbourhood, in eastern Beit Hanoun, in the North Gaza district. When the attack occurred, only women and children were in the house, apart from the older owner, Zaki. The men of the family had been arrested by Israeli forces then taken to Israel, where they were held for a few days, before coming back to the Gaza Strip. Following their arrest in the house, the family home was occupied by Israeli soldiers until the day before the attack.

When the men were released after being interrogated in Israel for three days after their arrest, they could not return to their homes in Beit Hanoun due to the Israeli ground invasion that was being conducted in the town. They went to Jabaliya refugee camp and rented a house with other members of the extended family in the camp. They were attacked there on 3 August 2014.  In this attack, four other members of the Wahdan family were killed. They have been identified as:

1. Hatem Zaki Wahdan (51);
2. Jamila Jamal Wahdan (28), wife of Bahjat who is Hatem's son;
3. Nour Bahjat Wahdan (2), daughter of Jamila and Bahjat; and
4. Sanioura Diab Wahdan (22), wife of Hatem's brother, Ali.

When the men returned from Israel, they could not reach Beit Hanoun, and went to Jabaliya refugee camp. On the morning of 22 July, they tried to call the family members in Beit Hanoun but could not reach them. When they reached the location of the home, after the ceasefire came into effect, they found only the ruins. They did not know what happened to the members of the family left behind. The bodies were only recovered a few days after the attack.

As a result of the attack on the home in Beit Hanoun, eight members of the Wahdan family were killed, among them four women, three children and the 69-year-old owner.

 Al Mezan identified them as follows:

1. Zaki Abdel Rahman Wahdan (69);
2. Su’ad Ismail Wahdan (67), Zaki's wife;
3. Baghdad Ahmed Hussein Wahdan (51), wife of Hatem (Zaki and Su'ad's son);
4. Zeinab Hatem Zaki Wahdan (27), Hatem and Baghdad's daughter;
5. Sumoud Hatem Zaki Wahdan-Saqer (22), Hatem and Baghdad's daughter;
6. Ghena Younis Bashir Saqer (2), Sumoud's daughter;
7. Ahmed Hatem Zaki Wahdan (13), Hatem and Baghdad's son; and
8. Hussein Hatem Zaki Wahdan (9), Hatem and Baghdad's son.