Esraa Shawqi Zaki Al-Ghoul

Their life

Esraa Shawqi Zaki Al-Ghoul was a 25-year-old Palestinian woman from Gaza City. She was martyred on 28 October 2023 during an Israeli airstrike that struck her family's home in the densely populated Al-Shati (Beach) Refugee Camp. The targeted house was sheltering not only the Al-Ghoul family but also several displaced families who had fled other areas of Gaza amid heavy bombardment. The attack occurred without prior warning, resulting in the deaths of Esraa and several others. Her loss adds to the growing toll of civilians, especially women and children, who have been killed in indiscriminate strikes during the 2023 war on Gaza.

Esraa Al-Ghoul was born and raised in Gaza City, within a context of ongoing siege, hardship, and military conflict. Like many young women in Gaza, she lived in a reality shaped by limited opportunities but strong familial and social bonds. The Al-Ghoul family resided in Al-Shati Refugee Camp, one of the most overcrowded and impoverished areas in the Gaza Strip, originally established in 1948 for Palestinians displaced during the Nakba.

Esraa grew up witnessing repeated cycles of violence, but despite the harsh conditions, she is remembered by those who knew her as resilient, compassionate, and deeply connected to her family and community. In the final days of her life, she was among many who took in displaced relatives and neighbors as Israeli airstrikes intensified across the Strip. Her home became a refuge for others—until it was destroyed without warning.

The strike that killed Esraa not only shattered a building but also tore through the lives of the people inside and the wider community. Her death underscores the devastating impact of war on civilians, particularly young women who are often overlooked in war narratives but whose lives are rich with stories, dreams, and dignity.

How they died

Killed by Israeli airstrike

Esraa Shawqi Zaki Al-Ghoul, a 26-year-old Palestinian woman, was tragically killed on October 28, 2023, during an Israeli airstrike that devastated her family's residential building in the Al-Shati Refugee Camp, west of Gaza City. The attack occurred without prior warning, resulting in the deaths of at least 43 members of the Al-Ghoul family, including multiple generations—grandparents, parents, children, and infants .
The airstrike was part of a broader Israeli military campaign that intensified following the launch of ground operations in Gaza on October 27, 2023 . The Al-Shati Refugee Camp, one of the most densely populated areas in Gaza, suffered extensive damage, with entire residential blocks reduced to rubble. Eyewitnesses described the bombing as more violent than an earthquake, with many residents trapped under the debris .

A plea from the family

The surviving family members of Esraa Shawqi Zaki Al-Ghoul, who witnessed the devastating airstrike on their home in Al-Shati Refugee Camp, have spoken out with grief, pain, and urgent calls to the world. Their voices join those of countless other Palestinian families demanding justice, accountability, and an end to the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza. A family member, overcome with emotion, said: "We were just sitting together. Esraa was laughing moments before the strike. She was full of life. Then everything turned black. The roof collapsed, the walls crumbled, and suddenly, she was gone. She didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye." Another surviving relative pleaded: "Why? Why did they target our home? We were not fighters. We were only trying to survive. Esraa was sheltering her cousins and neighbors. There was no warning. The world must hear us. Our daughter, our sister, our beloved Esraa was murdered in her home."

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Esraa Shawqi Zaki Al-Ghoul, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources