A Gaza pediatrician and mother of ten lost nine of her children after an Israeli airstrike hit their home near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. The pediatrician, Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, was working at a local hospital when she received news of the strike.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, said that “words fall short in describing the pain” of the incident. He added that Israeli aggression is not only targeting healthcare workers but also wiping out entire families.
The Israel Defense Forces claimed that their aircraft struck suspects operating near IDF troops in the area. However, a medical official at the Nasser Medical Complex confirmed that Dr. al-Najjar’s home was destroyed and her children were killed.
Among the victims were five boys and four girls, with one being just seven months old and another 12 years old. The only surviving child, an 11-year-old son, remains in critical condition after undergoing two surgeries. Dr. al-Najjar’s husband is also hospitalized in critical condition after surgeries.
The World Food Programme reported that over a dozen aid trucks were looted in southern Gaza, adding to the humanitarian crisis in the territory. The UN and international aid organizations have expressed concerns about widespread malnutrition and famine due to Israel’s blockade on supplies entering Gaza.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/gaza-pediatrician-mother-loses-9-10-children-after/story?id=122140789