Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights
May 26, 2025
What happened?
On May 26, 2025, a report on attacks on Gaza stated that the home of the Abd Rabbo family in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, was targeted, with 19 people killed, according to the report published on that date.
Impact of the incident on civilians
Strikes on residential buildings cause losses that may include multiple generations of the same family, and it is difficult to extract victims from the rubble without heavy equipment.
Protecting residential areas
International humanitarian law requires parties to a conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians, to verify targets, and to take precautions in attack. The legality of any operation remains contingent on the information available at the time of its execution and the extent of anticipated harm to civilians.
What is needed to protect the population?
These developments necessitate a careful follow-up on the facts related to the issue of “the bombing of the Abd Rabbo family home in Jabalia, which resulted in civilian casualties,” making information available to the affected families, providing means of treatment, relief, or redress according to the nature of the damage, and distinguishing between established information and the legal characterization that requires a competent investigation.
Image: Illustrative archive image that does not necessarily depict the incident described in the article. Image data, photographer, and license on Wikimedia Commons
