Gaza Doctor Dies from Wounds After Israeli Airstrike That Killed Nine of His Children
Tragedy in Khan Yunis: Only Mother and One Child Survive After Family Home Targeted
Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, a Palestinian doctor from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, has died from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike that struck his family home on May 23. The attack killed nine of his children, leaving only his wife, Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, and their 11-year-old son Adam as the sole survivors of the immediate family.
The airstrike occurred while Dr. Alaa al-Najjar was working in the emergency room at Nasser Hospital. Hours later, the bodies of her children—ranging in age from just a few months to 12 years old—were brought to the same hospital. Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, who had dropped his wife at work and returned home to get food for his children, was caught in a second air raid as he tried to rescue them after witnessing a missile strike that initially failed to detonate.
The Palestinian Health Ministry expressed condolences to Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, praising her resilience and dedication as a physician who continued to serve others while enduring unimaginable personal loss. The ministry also condemned the attack as part of a broader pattern of targeting medical personnel and institutions in Gaza.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and have left more than 124,000 injured. Humanitarian aid to the region remains severely restricted, exacerbating the suffering of civilians.
Source: Press TV