A mother's loss and Gaza's cry for justice

Observer

2 days ago

In Gaza, pain has become part of daily life. The world sees numbers, but behind each number is a person, a story, a dream that was destroyed. One of the most painful stories is that of Dr Alaa al Najjar, a paediatrician from Khan Yunis. While she was working in Nasser Medical Complex, treating injured children, her own house was bombed by Israeli warplanes. Nine of her ten children were killed. Only her son Adam, 11-years-old, survived but is now in intensive care.
Her sister Sahar told her the terrible news. 'The children are gone, Alaa,' she said. Alaa answered with calm faith, 'They are alive, being provided for by their Lord.' It was a short reply, but full of patience and deep pain. It shows how mothers in Gaza continue to carry heavy suffering with great strength.
The names of her children — Yahya, Rakan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eve, Revan, Saydeen, Luqman and Sidra — are now names of martyrs. The oldest was just 12, the youngest only six months old. They used to recite the Quran, play and laugh at home. But the bombs turned them into bodies burned and broken, impossible to recognise.
Sahar said her sister was trying to save other children's lives when she received the news. She ran into the street to reach her home and see her children for the last time, but what she found was heartbreaking. 'We could not know who was who. All of them were in pieces. All of them were burned,' she said.
Dr Alaa's family says they have no connection to Hamas. 'What happened to us is something no one can imagine,' Sahar said. 'Our family works in the medical field. Most of us are doctors or nurses. There was no reason for this attack.'
The Israeli army later said it had targeted 'a number of suspects' in Khan Yunis, and that the civilian deaths were 'under review'. This kind of statement is made after every attack, but it does not change the fact that many civilians, especially children, are being killed.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 16,500 children have been killed since October 7, 2023. Among them were 916 babies under one year old and 311 newborns who died in the war. These are not just numbers. These are children who had a right to live.
The statistics show that 4,365 of the children were aged between one and five years old, 6,101 were between six and twelve, and 5,124 were teenagers between 13 and 17. These numbers show the scale of the disaster and the kind of future that is being destroyed in Gaza.
In total, more than 49,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began. These include over 16,500 children, 12,400 women, 3,853 elderly people, 1,168 health workers, 293 journalists and 719 teachers, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Dr Alaa's story is not the only one. In May 2025, Anadolu Agency reported the case of five-year-old Arkan Assaf, who was badly injured in an Israeli attack that killed his parents, brother and many relatives. He now lives alone, injured and orphaned.
There is also the story of five-year-old Hind Rajab, shared by Al Jazeera. She was the only one to survive a bombing on her family's car in January 2024. She called the Red Crescent for three hours, asking for help: 'I am very scared. Please come. Please send someone to rescue me.' Her body was found twelve days later, next to her family and the medics who tried to save her.
On May 8, 2025, the Government Media Office in Gaza said that the Israeli army had destroyed about 2,200 families completely, removing 6,350 names from the population registry. More than 5,120 families were left with only one survivor.
In the middle of all this pain, Dr Alaa al Najjar stands as a symbol of courage and sacrifice. Even after losing nine children, she returned to the hospital to help other people's children. Her actions show what it means to be strong, to continue giving in the darkest times.
Dr Yousef Abu al Rish, a senior health official, said that Dr Alaa had left her children at home to do her duty towards sick children at the hospital. When he saw her, she was calm and quiet, whispering prayers with her eyes full of acceptance and patience.
The story of Dr Alaa al Najjar is more than just a sad story. It is a message to the world. The killing of children in Gaza must stop. The world must act, not only with words but with serious steps. These children were not numbers. They were dreams, lives and hopes. Their deaths show us how far we have failed in protecting human values.
Badr al Dhafari
The writer works for Oman Daily Observer