Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights

May 26, 2025

What happened?

Information was received about an attack on May 25, 2025, on a tent belonging to the Shalabi family, displaced from Rafah, west of Deir al-Balah, which resulted in the death of six family members and injuries to others.

Impact of the incident on civilians

Displaced families in tents are at risk of losing their temporary homes and the few belongings they have, and the need for emergency shelter recurs after each attack.

Safety of displaced persons

International humanitarian law protects civilians wherever they reside, including those displaced within schools and tents. Evacuations and relocations of civilians are subject to strict conditions that cannot be overridden by general orders to leave.

What is needed to protect the population?

These developments necessitate careful monitoring of the facts related to the issue of “the bombing of a tent belonging to the Shalabi family near Deir al-Balah, which doubles the risks of displacement,” 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 specialized investigation.

Image: Illustrative archive image that does not necessarily depict the incident described in the article. Image data, photographer, and license on Wikimedia Commons