Date: May 22, 2025
By: BlogHear News Desk
An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza has killed nine of the ten children of Palestinian doctor Alaa al-Najjar, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where she works. The strike occurred on Friday and also seriously injured her husband and surviving 11-year-old son, who was later operated on by British surgeons at the hospital.
The tragic incident comes amid a sharp escalation in Israeli military operations across Gaza, where at least 74 people were killed over a 24-hour period, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Graphic Aftermath and Eyewitness Accounts
Footage shared by Gaza’s health officials and verified by the BBC showed the charred bodies of children being pulled from the rubble of the family’s destroyed home near a petrol station in Khan Younis.
British surgeon Graeme Groom, working at Nasser Hospital, confirmed he had operated on Dr. al-Najjar’s surviving son and described the scene as “unimaginable.”
“Their father, also a doctor, was very badly injured,” Groom said in a video posted by colleague Dr. Victoria Rose. “There was no indication of any political or military affiliation.”
Initial reports from the hospital noted that eight children were killed, but that number was later updated to nine. The eldest of the children was reportedly just 12 years old.
House Struck Minutes After Husband Returned
According to Dr. Muneer Alboursh, director of the Gaza health ministry, the al-Najjar home was hit shortly after Dr. al-Najjar’s husband, Hamdi, had dropped her at work and returned home. The family had no known ties to militant groups.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence, said eight bodies and several injured individuals were recovered from the strike site on Friday. A hospital official described seeing Dr. al-Najjar waiting near the operating room for news about her surviving child.
In an emotional interview with AFP, a relative, Youssef al-Najjar, pleaded for help:
“Enough! Have mercy on us! We plead to all countries, the international community, the people, Hamas, and all factions to have mercy on us. We are exhausted from the displacement and the hunger!”
Humanitarian Conditions Worsening
Friday’s deadly strike comes as Gaza faces what UN Secretary-General António Guterres described as possibly “the cruellest phase” of the ongoing war. He condemned Israel’s months-long blockade on humanitarian aid, partially lifted earlier this week.
According to Israeli authorities, 83 trucks carrying flour, food, and medical supplies entered Gaza on Friday. However, the UN estimates 500–600 trucks per day are needed to meet the basic needs of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
Severe shortages of food and water have triggered chaotic scenes, including attacks on aid convoys and desperate crowds gathering at bakeries. A UN-backed assessment earlier this month warned that Gaza is at critical risk of famine.
“People in Gaza have no food,” the BBC reported. “Malnourished mothers are unable to breastfeed, and desalination plants are shutting down due to fuel shortages.”
Context: War’s Ongoing Toll
The latest phase of Israel’s military campaign was launched following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 hostages taken. In retaliation, Israel began a widespread bombardment and ground offensive across the Gaza Strip.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 53,901 Palestinians—including more than 16,500 children—have been killed in the conflict since then.
Israel says its offensive is aimed at eliminating Hamas and pressuring the group to release hostages. It also accuses Hamas of seizing and redirecting humanitarian aid, a claim Hamas has denied.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it had struck over 100 targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours. The IDF has not yet issued a specific comment on the strike that killed Dr. al-Najjar’s children.
For more unbiased coverage of global conflicts and humanitarian updates, visit BlogHear.com — where clarity meets truth.
