The gazast doctor mourns their nine children who were killed in Israeli strike

A Palestinian pediatrician received the charred bodies of seven of her children on duty after an Israeli strike hit her home in Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip.

Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a pediatric specialist in the Al-Tahrir Hospital in the Nasser Medical Complex, treated victims of ongoing Israeli attacks on Friday when she was shocked to find her own children and her husband to the hospital.

The children – the oldest 13 years and the youngest for only six months – were severely burned in the bombing raids.

Shortly before the strike, Najjar had with her husband Dr. HAMDI al-Najjar worked together, who then returned home.

Not long after that, an Israeli bombing hit her house in the Qizan al-Najar area in the south of Khan Younis, killed nine of her ten children and wounded the 10th

Najjar's husband, who suffered serious injuries, remains in the intensive care unit.

The film material published by the Palestinian civil defense showed that emergency teams pulled the children of the children out of the ruins when the flames still devoured the family's house.

Disabled people due to a lack of adequate equipment and the great extent of the destruction were able to call civil defenders in the debris and desperately searched for signs of life.

Civil protection teams reported that seven bodies were recovered and transferred to the Nasser Hospital, where their mother works.

Two more, including the six -month -old baby, remain caught under the rubble.

The children were identified as Yahya, Rakan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eva, Revan, Sayden, Luqman and Sidra.

“The children were completely charred”

Ali al-Najjar hurried on the spot as soon as he heard that his brother's house had been hit.

“Someone called us and said that the house was bombed. I hurried there before the arrival of civil defense,” he said to Middle East Eye.

When he reached the scene, he found his brother Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, who was motionless on the floor, with his son next to him. The house was contained in flames.

“The children were completely charred,” he said. “I wore my nephew Adam and my injured cousin and took them to the hospital.”

Moments later he returned to the burning house back-to see his sister-in-law, the mother of the children. “She walked from the hospital into the house on foot.”

“Four of their children were pulled out right in front of their eyes, charred,” he said.

Ali described the persistent agony not to know the fate of two missing children. “Seven children were pulled out under the ruins, and two – Yahya, 13, and Sidra, only six months old – are still missing. We cannot find them.”

He said the civil protection teams had resumed the search the next morning, but found nothing. “Your mother cannot even identify the bodies, the children are so badly burned that she cannot say who who is.”

Ali questioned the reason behind the strike. “I don't know why they have been targeted. Why should you target my brother? There is no reason unless his wife is a doctor.”

“Series woman”

Najjar insisted on returning to work six months ago shortly after the birth of her youngest child, and decided to treat the victims of children with relentless attacks and a poor lack of medical staff.

In a certificate that was given to the eye of the Middle East, Dr. Yousef Abu al-Rish, Sub-State Secretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Health: “I learned that our colleague Dr. Alaa al-Najjar was waiting in front of the operating room and was waiting for the news that she declined for a unique example. Wherever you try to describe the suffering, only deepens the fear.

“She left her to fulfill her duty against all sick children who have no other than the wet hospital anywhere, a place that suffocates with the screaming innocent souls.

“Men and women were able to confuse their faces. I looked for the anxious faces and immediately recognized the most destroyed expression. I was looking for words to comfort her, but she pointed to another woman.

“Quiet, patient and full of faith – that was Dr. Alaa al -Najjar. The last thing I expected was that this steadfast woman was the one who lost her children.”

The reality of health workers

According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, at least 1,400 health professions have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023.

“This is the reality that our medical staff in Gaza bears. The words are justified in the description of the pain,” said Dr. Munir al-Bursh, General Director of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in a contribution about X that commented on the attack.

“In Gaza, not only the health care employees are addressed. Israel's aggression continues and deletes entire families.”

In addition, at least 111 civil protection workers were killed.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Health reported that at least 53,822 Palestinians – including 16,503 children – were killed over the blocked strip during ongoing Israeli attacks.

Among the children killed were in 916 under a year old; 4,365 were one to five years old; 6.101 were between six and 12; and 5.124 were 13 to 17 years old.

According to the Ministry of Health and civil defense, thousands remain missing and are suspected under the rubble.