A devastating airstrike in Gaza has left a family shattered. Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, a pediatrician, lost nine of her ten children in the attack. Her husband, Hamdi, and their 11-year-old son, Adam, were injured.
The bombing hit their home in Khan Younis, a city in the Gaza Strip. Dr. Al-Najjar’s children were aged between 1 and 12 years old. The youngest, a one-year-old, was among those killed.
Aftermath of the Attack
Dr. Muneer Al-Bursh, the director of the Gaza Health Ministry, said the initial reports indicated that the family’s home was hit by a missile just minutes after Hamdi returned from dropping off Dr. Al-Najjar at work.
Gram Groom, a British surgeon working at Nasser Hospital, operated on Adam. He described the incident as “horrific” and said that Dr. Al-Najjar, as a pediatrician, had dedicated her life to caring for children.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 74 people were killed in the past 24 hours, including the Al-Najjar children. The ministry also released a video showing the charred bodies of children being pulled from the rubble.
Reactions and Investigations
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said they were investigating claims of civilian casualties. They claimed that they had evacuated civilians from the area before launching the attack.
The IDF stated that they had targeted over 100 locations in Gaza, including what they claimed were military sites. However, the Gaza Health Ministry and other sources disputed these claims, saying that many civilians, including women and children, were among the dead and injured.
As the investigation continues, the international community is left to wonder about the circumstances surrounding the attack and the devastating consequences for the Al-Najjar family.
