A horrifying Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza has left a family devastated, killing nine of a Palestinian doctor’s ten children in a single blast amid a renewed military campaign in the region. The massacre occurred on Friday in Khan Yunis, a city that has borne the brunt of recent Israeli operations. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, the children ranged in age from just seven months to 12 years old.
Dr. Alaa Najjar, a pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was on duty saving the lives of others when she learned that her own family home had been struck and engulfed in flames. Her husband, Hamdi—also a physician—was critically wounded in the attack. The couple’s only surviving child, an 11-year-old boy, is in serious condition, now recovering in a hospital bed, a lone survivor in a family torn apart by war.
Graphic footage shared by the Hamas-run Palestinian Civil Defence shows rescuers pulling the tiny, lifeless bodies of at least seven children from the rubble. Two more were still buried beneath the debris as of Saturday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
This one strike is just a glimpse into a broader wave of violence. The same day, hospitals across Gaza reported receiving the bodies of 79 people killed in Israeli strikes over a 24-hour period. Health officials noted the grim tally doesn’t even account for deaths in the north, where several hospitals have been destroyed or are inaccessible due to ongoing bombardments.
Heart-wrenching photos now circulating globally show Dr. Najjar sitting beside her injured husband in the ICU, holding vigil amid unimaginable grief. Another image shows Hamdi, surrounded by his children in happier times—a stark contrast to the current reality.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had targeted suspected militants operating near its troops and labeled Khan Yunis a “dangerous war zone.” It claimed civilians had been warned and evacuated ahead of the strike, adding that “the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.”
Yet, for Gazans, such reassurances mean little in the face of continued civilian casualties. Israel also claimed its air force struck over 100 targets across Gaza within 24 hours as part of its campaign to pressure Hamas into a ceasefire. Since the offensive resumed on March 18, over 3,700 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the total death toll to more than 53,900 since the war began 19 months ago, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. These figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
The war’s roots trace back to the October 7 attacks on Israel, when 1,195 people were killed—736 of them Israeli civilians, including 36 children. Since then, Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza, trapping more than 2 million Palestinians inside the war zone, cutting off food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.
This week, the first small convoy of aid trucks in months was finally allowed into Gaza. However, the number of trucks fell far short of the roughly 600 that entered daily during earlier ceasefires. Food insecurity has reached critical levels. Stark images show desperate crowds gathering around charity kitchens that are quickly running out of supplies. Aid groups and humanitarian officials have issued dire warnings of impending famine unless the blockade is lifted or significantly eased.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has faced growing international pressure to allow more humanitarian access. In response, it proposed a new system for aid distribution overseen by a U.S.-backed organization. However, the United Nations and other aid agencies have rejected the plan, accusing Israel of using food as a weapon and violating basic humanitarian principles.
“This tragedy is not just a family’s heartbreak—it’s a symptom of a war that increasingly targets the most vulnerable,” said one aid worker familiar with the situation in Khan Yunis. “Nine children from one home are gone. What kind of security does that bring to anyone?”
The names of the children killed in Friday’s airstrike have not yet been released. Their mother, Dr. Alaa Najjar, has not spoken publicly, but colleagues at Nasser Hospital say she remains in shock and is inconsolable.
The international community continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians. But for the Najjar family, and thousands of others, the damage is already irreversible.
As the war drags on, and as Gaza’s skies remain filled with drones and warplanes, the question haunting many is no longer who will win—but how many more innocents must die before it ends.