Israeli attack results in fatalities of nine family members affiliated with Hamas
In the embattled coastal region of Gaza, a pediatrician, Alaa Najjar, has suffered an unspeakable tragedy: the loss of nine of her ten children in an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) air strike in Khan Yunis. Surviving her are her 11-year-old son and her husband, who is also severely wounded. The director of the Health Authority, under the control of Hamas, confirmed the accuracy of these reports at the Nasser Hospital, where Najjar worked at the time of the attack.
The IDF stated that it would investigate the reports, claiming there had been a drone attack near Israeli ground troops in Khan Yunis earlier. The IDF regards Khan Yunis as a dangerous combat zone, with Israeli troops urging civilians to evacuate the area prior to operation commencement.
British surgeon Andrew Wilson, who operated on the surviving child at the Nasser Hospital, described the loss of Najjar's children as "unbearably cruel" in a social media video. The family’s house was reportedly struck shortly after the father, also a doctor at the clinic, dropped Najjar off at work.
According to the Health Authority controlled by Hamas, 79 Palestinians were killed in IDF attacks on Saturday alone. The authority’s figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, making independent verification challenging initially. On the same day, the IDF announced that its troops had targeted over 100 sites across the Gaza Strip during the previous day, including terrorists, military structures, and tunnels.
Simultaneously, protests occurred in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, demanding an end to the Gaza conflict and the immediate release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Liran Berman, whose twin brothers were abducted in a Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, expressed concerns for the hostages and the passing time.
Since the conflict began, the Hamas-run Health Ministry reported 53,901 fatalities in Gaza. Aside from the civilian death toll, ongoing military actions, and restricted access to certain areas—including hospitals in northern Gaza—have affected the situation significantly.
Investigations have begun concerning suspicious phone calls featuring screaming alleged hostages and explosions in Gaza. The calls reportedly simulated hostage videos circulated by Hamas. The Calls were not made on behalf of the Hostage Families Forum, as stated in a release. The Israeli Cyber Directorate is currently investigating the matter to allay public anxiety.
The pediatrician, Alaa Najjar, lost her entire family except for her 11-year-old son and her severely wounded husband in the war-and-conflicts-ridden Gaza region, causing her to be a central figure in the general-news cycle. The family's tragedy occurred in Khan Yunis, where crume-and-justice issues also persist due to the ongoing conflict.
