Latest news with #AlaaNajjar
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Gaza doctor who lost nine children in Israeli airstrike dies from wounds in same attack
A Palestinian father who had lost nine of his 10 children in an Israeli airstrike has died from wounds sustained in the same attack, local health officials said on Sunday. Hamdi al-Najjar, 40, a doctor at Nasser hospital, was critically injured when Israeli forces bombed the family house in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on May 23, killing nine of his children. He had just returned home after accompanying his wife Alaa, a paediatrician at the Nasser medical complex, to work when the building was struck. He had initially survived alongside his son Adam, 11, who is still in hospital. Even by the terrible standards of the Gaza conflict, their deaths had shocked the international community. Footage shared by the director of Gaza's health ministry and verified by the Guardian showed the burnt, dismembered bodies of Najjar's children being pulled from the rubble of their house near a petrol station as flames still engulfed what remained of the family's home. His wife Alaa had received the bodies while she was still at work. Sources at the Nasser hospital who transferred the children's bodies one by one to the morgue said their mother was not able to identify them, so bad were the burns. Doctors told the Guardian her husband was suffering from severe injuries – brain damage and fractures caused by shrapnel, along with shrapnel wounds and fractures in the chest. He was placed on a ventilator and fitted with medical tubes. On Sunday, they said, he passed away from the severe wounds sustained in the attack. Following an appeal issued by Adam's uncle, Ali al-Najjar, 50, and reported by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Italy's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said the country was ready to receive Adam for medical care and was working to arrange his evacuation on 11 June. Italy had expressed a willingness to evacuate both the father and mother as well, but due to Najjar's critical condition, transferring him out of Gaza was deemed too dangerous. His wife had agreed for their son, Adam, to be taken to Italy with an aunt and three cousins, but said she would remain by her husband's side. After Najjar's death, sources within the Italian foreign ministry have indicated that his wife may now also be evacuated to Italy.
The Age
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
Gaza doctor begged to hold daughter's body after strike killed nine of her children
Warning: Graphic content Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip: A Palestinian doctor who rushed home from work after an airstrike hit her Gaza home begged rescuers to let her hold the body of her young daughter as they pulled the child from the rubble. Paediatrician Alaa Najjar lost nine of her 10 children in the strike on Friday, colleagues from Nasser Hospital and Gaza's Health Ministry said, and her husband, also a doctor, was severely injured. Hamdi Najjar, the doctor's husband, remains in critical condition with severe brain injuries, and their only surviving child, Adam, is in a moderate condition, said Ahmed al-Farra, the head of paediatric care at Nasser Hospital. Al-Farra backed the family's account of the deaths of the children in the strike. Video footage of the strike's aftermath showed Palestinian emergency workers carrying small, ashen bodies out of a building near the southern city of Khan Younis. As one was loaded onto a stretcher, a man could be heard shouting: 'There are still nine down there!' Alaa Najjar arrived at the scene just as her daughter Revan's body was pulled out of the rubble, The Guardian reported. She tearfully begged rescuers to let her hold her one last time. 'Her [Revan's] body was completely burnt from the upper part, nothing remained of her skin or flesh,' brother-in-law Ali Najjar said. 'There are still two bodies of my brother's children we could not find: the oldest, [a] 12-year-old boy, Yahya, and the six-month-old girl, Sayden.'
The Age
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Family tragedy leaves my heart scorched
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. GAZA CONFLICT Like many, I have shed tears over the decimation of Palestinian human life. Then something shattering happens such as the death of nine children from one family, deeply scorching one's heart to ashes (' Nine of doctor's children killed in Israeli strike on Gaza,' 26/5). This destruction of a family is yet another outrage to our humanity and international law: how much more often are we going to hear from Israeli officials statements like, 'the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review'? Given the children's mother is a doctor and having witnessed so many deaths and severe injuries, and then to rush home to find her children dead, is beyond comprehension. Judith Morrison, Nunawading Horror event I wonder how Gazan paediatrician Alaa Najjar will live with the grief of losing nine of her children, and the horror of viewing their charred and unrecognisable bodies in yet another Israeli atrocity at the weekend. And I wonder how long it will be before our government finds the courage and humanity to sanction Israel. Jody Ellis, Thornbury Ending the conflict Like others, I am appalled at the death and destruction in Gaza. But, it would end tomorrow if Hamas released the remaining hostages. The deaths of women and children would not occur if Hamas let women and children shelter in the tunnels that protect their fighters. Or Hamas didn't hide their leadership under hospitals, schools and UNWRA offices. Starvation would not be occurring if Hamas didn't control the distribution of food in Gaza – delivering it to the needy rather than selling it to the desperate. And peace would be possible if the various Palestinian parties would accept a State of Palestine, alongside a state of Israel, and not instead of a state of Israel. Is one predominantly Jewish state too much for the UN to accept, alongside roughly 50 predominantly Muslim states and 150 predominantly Christian states? Are Jews the only people who are not allowed to live free, in a country they call home? Bruce Hartnett, Alphington Albanese must act While Anthony Albanese reportedly told Israel's President Isaac Herzog last week that Israel's 80-day blockade of food supplies and medical supplies to Gaza was 'completely unacceptable and ... completely untenable', and our Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the comments of some members of Israel's government as 'abhorrent and outrageous', I regard these as achieving no more than water falling on a duck's back. While I'm pleased that Australia joined 22 other nations, including Canada, the UK and New Zealand, in a joint statement condemning Israel's murderous blockade, our government must take resolute action to end immediately its contracts with Israeli arms companies and ban any direct or indirect contribution to Israel's war efforts. Michael Kennedy, Pipers Creek Israel wants peace Your correspondent's claim that Israel needs war for its self-identity (Letters, 26/5) is unfair. Does he know, Israel withdrew from Sinai for peace, withdrew from Gaza for peace, and offered the same with the West Bank. It's arguable that every major conflict Israel has been involved in was started by its opponents. Hamas, by contrast, readily identifies its entire reason for existing as being the 'resistance' against Israel to wipe Israel off the map. It is not speculation what influence Hamas would have in Gaza if there was a ceasefire. It would have the control it has now, where it violently suppresses the people and steals aid. It's also certain it would keep attacking Israel and starting future wars, as its charter, past conduct and statements of future intent make clear. What your correspondent asserts as certain, that Netanyahu has no intention to allow the rebuilding of Gaza, is speculation. Netanyahu has spoken about a technocratic multinational administration rebuilding Gaza. But that can only happen with Hamas gone. Stephen Lazar, Elwood THE FORUM Save the trees Re ' At home among the gum trees? Not in Rowville ', (26/5), it is alarming to read statistics by tree expert Dr Greg Moore saying 'in Melbourne we are losing canopy at about 1 to 1.5 per cent per annum and the consequences of this is the city is going to be much hotter'. There are many threats to Melbourne's tree canopy cover and it is crucial that we increase it. Our planet continues to warm and trees play a vital role in cooling our cities. This is something we need to urgently plan for and it is imperative we listen to experts. Moves such as developing minimum canopy cover measures on new private residential and commercial developments, increasing the number of penalty units to disincentivise illegal tree removals, and reducing pruning around power lines in non-bushfire risk areas have been suggested by experts and need to be seriously considered. Yvonne Bowyer, Surrey Hills
CBS News
25-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
9 of Gaza doctor's 10 children among those killed in latest string of Israeli strikes, hospital says
Nearly 80 people have been killed in the latest round of Israeli strikes in Gaza – a death toll that doesn't include hospitals in the battered north that the Hamas-run Health Ministry said are now inaccessible. The dead over the past 24 hours included nine of a doctor's 10 children, horrified colleagues and the health ministry said. Alaa Najjar, a pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was on duty at the time and ran home to find her family's house on fire, Ahmad al-Farra, head of the hospital's pediatric department, told The Associated Press. Najjar's husband was severely wounded and their only surviving child, an 11-year-old son, was in critical condition after Friday's strike in the southern city of Khan Younis, Farra said. Palestinian doctor Ela al-Najjar visits her injured husband in the intensive care unit at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, after an Israeli airstrike hit their home. Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images The dead children ranged in age from seven months to 12 years old. Khalil Al-Dokran, a spokesperson for Gaza's Health Ministry, told the AP that two of the children remained under the rubble. Israel's military said in a statement that it struck suspects operating from a structure next to its forces and described the area of Khan Younis as a "dangerous war zone." It said it had evacuated civilians from the area, and "the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review." Earlier Saturday, a statement said Israel's air force struck over 100 targets throughout Gaza over the past day. Gaza health officials, who don't differentiate between civilians and combatants, said the new deaths raise the war's toll to 53,901 since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the 19 months of fighting. The ministry said more than 3,700 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed the war in March to pressure Hamas to accept different ceasefire terms and release the remaining hostages. Aid slowly trickling in The renewed military action against Hamas has also included a blockade of Gaza and its more than 2 million residents since early March. This week, the first small number of aid trucks entered the territory and began reaching Palestinians. But they were far fewer than the about 600 trucks a day that had been entering during the ceasefire. Palestinians line up to receive clean drinking water and hot meal, distributed by charity organizations, as people struggle with difficult living conditions due to ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza City, Gaza on May 24, 2025. Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu via Getty Images President Benjamin Netanyahu's government has sought a new aid delivery and distribution system by a newly established U.S.-backed group, but the United Nations and partners have rejected it, saying it allows Israel to use food as a weapon and violates humanitarian principles. Israel has accused Hamas of siphoning off aid but the U.N. and aid groups deny there is significant diversion. Israeli military accused of using Palestinians as human shields Seven Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have also accused Israel's military of using human shields in Gaza, allegedly sending people into buildings and tunnels to check for bombs and gunmen, the AP is reporting. They said the practice, which is prohibited by international law, has become ubiquitous over 19 months of war. In March, CBS News reported similar allegations, including from an Israeli soldier whose account of the tactics used in Gaza raised some serious questions. "We've burned down buildings for no reasons, which is violating the international law, of course," he told CBS News. "…And we used human shields as protection." This photo provided by Breaking the Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers, shows two soldiers behind Palestinian detainees being sent into a Gaza City-area house to clear it in 2024. Breaking the Silence via AP Ayman Abu Hamadan told the AP he was held for 2 ½ weeks last summer by the Israeli military in northern Gaza, and the only time he wasn't bound or blindfolded was when he was forced into houses to make sure they were clear of bombs and gunmen. "They beat me and told me: 'You have no other option; do this or we'll kill you," the 36-year-old told the AP, adding that when one unit was finished with him, he was passed to the next. In response to the most recent allegations, Israel's military says it strictly prohibits using civilians as shields — a practice it has long accused Hamas of using in Gaza. Israeli officials blame Hamas for the civilian death toll in its offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. In a statement to the AP, the military said it also bans otherwise coercing civilians to participate in operations, and "all such orders are routinely emphasized to the forces." The military said it's investigating several cases alleging that Palestinians were involved in missions but wouldn't provide details. It didn't answer questions about the reach of the practice or any orders from commanding officers.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctor still fighting for his life after Israeli strike killed nine of his 10 children - as heartbreaking snap shows wife at his bedside
A doctor whose nine children were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza remains in a critical condition. Hamdi al-Najjar was injured by the strike on Friday and sustained significant injuries to his brain, lungs, right arm and kidney. The attack in the southern city of Khan Yunis, has left him fighting for his life, which 'remains in danger,' Dr Milena Angelova-Chee a Bulgarian doctor working at Nasser hospital, told the BBC. His wife, Alaa Najjar a Palestinian paediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was working when she learned her family home was on fire after the attack. It killed nine of the couple's ten children - Yahya, Rakan, Raslan, Gebran, Eve, Rival, Sayden, Luqman and Sidra - who were aged between seven months and 12 years old, according to the region's civil defence agency. Their only surviving child, an 11-year-old boy called Adam was critically injured but according to Dr Angelova-Chee is doing 'reasonably well'. Tahani Yahya al-Najjar, al-Najjar's sister said: 'She went to her house and saw her children burned, may God help her.' The Israeli military said it struck suspects operating from a structure next to its forces, and described the area of Khan Younis as a 'dangerous war zone'. But most of Gaza's two million population has been squeezed into an ever narrowing zone on the coast and in the area around Khan Younis by Israel's military operation. About 81 per cent of the territory is now either subject to Israeli evacuation orders or located in militarised "no-go" zones, according to the UN. It said it had evacuated civilians from the area, and 'the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.' On Friday, the Israeli military said it had conducted more strikes in Gaza overnight, hitting 75 targets including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers. The strikes follow an 11-week blockade on food, fuel, water and medicine, which has pushed the decimated civilian population of Gaza to the brink of famine, experts continue to warn. The Israeli military said 107 trucks carrying flour and other foodstuffs as well as medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip from the Kerem Shalom crossing point on Thursday. But getting the supplies to people sheltering in tents and other makeshift accommodation has been fitful and U.N. officials say at least 500 to 600 trucks of aid are needed every day. Israel imposed the blockade in early March, accusing Hamas of stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas rejects the charge, saying a number of its own fighters have been killed protecting the trucks from armed looters. It has announced that a new system, sponsored by the United States and run by private contractors, will soon begin operations from four distribution centres in the south of Gaza, but many details of how the system will work remain unclear. The U.N. has already said it will not work with the new system, which it says will leave aid distribution conditional on Israel's political and military aims. Israel has maintained a presence in Gaza since the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023, which saw gunmen storm into southern Israel and kill some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seize 251 hostages. It's subsequent ground and air war has left Gaza in ruin, displacing nearly all its residents and killing more than 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.
