Latest news with #Alaaal-Najjar
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘One of the most heartbreaking tragedies': Gaza doctor's last goodbye before nine children killed in airstrike
In the early hours of Friday, as she did every day, Dr Alaa al-Najjar said goodbye to her 10 children before leaving the house. The youngest, Sayden, six months old, was still sleeping. And like every day, with war raging in Gaza and Israeli strikes landing just metres from her neighbourhood in Khan Younis, Najjar worried about leaving them at home without her. But Najjar, 35, had little choice. One of Gaza's dwindling number of medics, a respected paediatrician at the Nasser medical complex, she had to go to work to care for injured babies who had barely survived Israeli attacks. She could never have imagined that that farewell to her family would be her last. A few hours later, the charred bodies of seven of her children, killed by an Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis, arrived at her hospital. Two other bodies, including Sayden's, remained under the rubble. Of her 10 children, only one had survived, along with their father, Hamdi al-Najjar, 40, also a doctor. Both are now in hospital. 'It's one of the most heartbreaking tragedies since the beginning of the conflict,' Mohammed Saqer, the head of nursing at Nasser hospital, said. 'And it happened to a paediatrician who dedicated her life to saving children, only to have her own motherhood stolen in a moment of fire and deafening silence.' Footage shared by the director of Gaza's health ministry and verified by the Guardian shows the burnt, dismembered bodies of children being pulled from the rubble of Najjar's building near a petrol station as flames still engulfed what remained of the family's home. Ali al-Najjar, 50, the older brother of Hamdi, Alaa's husband, said: 'When I heard the house was bombed, I instinctively rushed to my car and headed to the place as I knew my brother and his children were inside. When I arrived, I was shocked. I found my nephew Adam, who survived, lying on the road under the rubble. He was covered in soot, his clothes were almost torn, but his soul was still inside him. My brother was lying on the other side, bleeding heavily from his head and chest, and his arm was cut off. He was still breathing with difficulty.' Ali called the medical team and took the two survivors to the hospital. Then he began searching for his nine missing nieces and nephews. 'The house was very difficult to clear because the ceiling was stacked on top of itself. I started searching around the house hoping to find any of the children because I assumed the bombing might have thrown them outside the house,' he said. 'But then, sadly, the first burnt body appeared. After completely putting out the fire, we found the rest of them – some were mutilated and all were burnt.' Alaa al-Najjar rushed to the site of the explosion as rescuers pulled the body of her daughter Revan from the rubble. In tears, she begged the 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,' Ali said. 'There are still two bodies of my brother's children we could not find: the oldest, 12-year-old boy, Yahya, and the six-month-old girl, Sayden.' Najjar returned to the hospital to check on her son Adam, 11, and her husband. 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. The children's names were Yahya, Rakan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eve, Revan, Sayden, Luqman and Sidra. 'Alaa went to the morgue, held her children in her arms, recited the Qur'an over them and prayed for them,' said Dr Ahmed al-Farra, 53, the director of the children's building at the Nasser medical complex. 'Other female doctors around her collapsed from grief and rage, but Dr Alaa remained composed. God sent peace upon her heart. After they were buried, she went directly to check on her husband and son and began caring for them.' Colleagues at the hospital described Najjar as a committed, polite and ethical doctor, capable of enduring immense pressure, treating dozens of children and patients daily, and at the same time caring for a large family. 'She was in constant worry for her children when she was at the hospital. When she heard a house had been bombed in the Qizan al-Najjar neighbourhood, her mother's heart sensed something was wrong,' Farra said. He said there were no words for her loss. 'If anyone wants to share an opinion, let them first imagine it happening to them – to suddenly lose every person connected to you.' After saying goodbye for the last time to the lifeless bodies of her seven children, Alaa went to the ward where her surviving child was being treated. '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,' Farra said. ''Her son's condition was relatively better – his injuries ranged from moderate to severe.' Najjar's colleagues and friends said her children held Egyptian citizenship and that Alaa and Hamdi had been planning to leave for Egypt and enrol their children in Cairo's Al-Azhar University. The Israel Defense Forces said: 'Yesterday, an IDF aircraft struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure adjacent to IDF troops in the area of Khan Younis. The Khan Younis area is a dangerous war zone. Before beginning operations there, the IDF evacuated civilians from this area for their own safety. The claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.' The Gaza health ministry says nearly 54,000 Palestinians, including 16,503 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks across the territory. Farra said: 'My only hope is that those who were killed are not just names on paper. We were created just like every other human being in this world. And like every other human, we have the right to live.'
North Wales Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Israel's latest strikes in Gaza kill 38 people including children, say officials
No data is available for a second straight day on Sunday from now-inaccessible hospitals in the north. Further details also emerged of a local doctor who lost nine of her 10 children in an Israeli strike on Friday. Gaza's Health Ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its offensive in March, vowing to destroy Hamas and return the 58 hostages it still holds from the October 7 2023 attack that triggered the war. Israel also blocked the import of all food, medicine and fuel for two-and-a-half months before letting a trickle of aid enter last week, after experts' warnings of famine and pressure from some of Israel's top allies. Israel has been pursuing a new plan to tightly control all aid to Gaza, which the United Nations has rejected. The executive director of the UN World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, told CBS she has not seen evidence to support Israel's claims that Hamas is responsible for the looting of aid trucks. 'These people are desperate, and they see a World Food Programme truck coming in and they run for it,' she said. Israel also says it plans to seize full control of Gaza and facilitate what it describes as the voluntary migration of much of its population of over two million Palestinians, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Experts say it would likely violate international law. The new strike on the tent housing displaced people that killed the mother and children occurred in the central city of Deir al-Balah, according to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A strike in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza killed at least five, including two women and a child, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Only one of pediatrician Alaa al-Najjar's 10 children survived the Israeli strike on their home Friday near the southern city of Khan Younis. Both the 11-year-old and Dr al-Najjar's husband, also a doctor, were badly hurt. The charred remains of the other children were brought to the morgue in a single body bag, said a fellow pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, Alaa al-Zayan. The home was struck minutes after Hamdi al-Najjar had driven his wife to the hospital. His brother Ismail al-Najjar, was first to arrive at the scene. 'They were innocent children,' the brother said, with the youngest seven-months-old. 'And my brother has no business with (Palestinian) factions.' Israel on Saturday said 'the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review'. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because it operates in densely populated areas. There was no immediate comment from the military on the latest strikes. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 people. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's 19-month offensive has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead. It does not provide figures for the number of civilians or combatants killed. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, often multiple times. – A missile from the Houthis Separately, Israel's military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday. It triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Iran-backed Houthis have launched repeated missile attacks targeting Israel as well as international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Most of the targeted ships had no relation to Israel or the conflict. The US halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking ships. That informal ceasefire did not include attacks on Israel.
Daily Tribune
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Nine Children of Gaza Doctor Couple Killed
Email : editor@ Gaza's civil defence agency said yesterday that an Israeli strike in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed nine children of a pair of married doctors, with the Israeli army saying it was reviewing the reports. Israel has stepped up its campaign in Gaza in recent days, drawing international criticism as well as calls to allow in more supplies after it partially eased a total blockade on aid imposed on March 2. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the agency had retrieved 'the bodies of nine child martyrs, some of them charred, from the home of Dr Hamdi al-Najjar and his wife, Dr Alaa al-Najjar, all of whom were their children.' He added that Hamdi al-Najjar and another son, Adam, were also seriously wounded in the strike on Friday. A medical source at Nasser Hospital, where Alaa al-Najjar works, gave Adam's age as 10 years old. Burned Remains Footage of the aftermath released by the civil defence agency showed rescuers recovering badly burned remains from the damaged home. Asked about the incident, the Israeli military said it had 'struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure' near its troops. 'The Khan Yunis area is a dangerous warzone,' it added. 'The claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.'
The Star
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Israel's latest strikes in Gaza kill 38 people including children
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP): Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours killed at least 38 people in Gaza, including a mother and her two children sheltering in a tent, local health officials said Sunday, with no data available for a second straight day from now-inaccessible hospitals in the north. Further details emerged of the Palestinian doctor who lost nine of her 10 children in an Israeli strike on Friday. Gaza's Health Ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its offensive in March, vowing to destroy Hamas and return the 58 hostages it still holds from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Hamas has said it will only release the hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel also blocked the import of all food, medicine and fuel for 2 1/2 months before letting a trickle of aid enter last week, after experts' warnings of famine and pressure fromsome of Israel's top allies. Israel has been pursuing a new plan to tightly control all aid to Gaza, which the United Nations has rejected. The executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, Cindy McCain, told CBS she has not seen evidence to support Israel's claims that Hamas is responsible for the looting of aid trucks. "These people are desperate, and they see a World Food Program truck coming in and they run for it,' she said. Israel also says it plans to seize full control of Gaza and facilitate what it describes as the voluntary migration of much of its population of over 2 million Palestinians, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Experts say it would likely violate international law. The new strike on the tent housing displaced people that killed the mother and children occurred in the central city of Deir al-Balah, according to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A strike in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza killed at least five, including two women and a child, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. In Friday's strike, only one of pediatrician Alaa al-Najjar's 10 children survived at their home near the southern city of Khan Younis. The 11-year-old and al-Najjar's husband, also a doctor, were badly hurt. The charred remains of the children were put into a single body bag, said a fellow pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, Alaa al-Zayan. The home was struck minutes after Hamdi al-Najjar had driven his wife to the hospital. His brother, Ismail al-Najjar, was first to arrive at the scene. "They were innocent children," the brother said, with the youngest 7 months old. "And my brother has no business with (Palestinian) factions.' Israel on Saturday said "the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.' It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because it operates in densely populated areas. There was no immediate comment from the military on the latest strikes. "This is not an endless war," Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said during a visit to Khan Younis. Recent ceasefire talks in Qatar gained no ground. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 people. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's 19-month offensive has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead. It does not provide figures for the number of civilians or combatants killed. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, often multiple times. Separately, Israel's military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday. It triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Iran-backed Houthis have launched repeated missile attacks targeting Israel as well as international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Most of the targeted ships had no relation to Israel or the conflict. The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking ships. That informal ceasefire did not include attacks on Israel. - AP
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Business Standard
25-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 38 people including children
Further details also emerged of the local doctor who lost nine of her 10 children in an Israeli strike on Friday AP Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip) Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours killed at least 38 people in Gaza, including a mother and her two children sheltering in a tent, local health officials said Sunday, with no data available for a second straight day from now-inaccessible hospitals in the north. Further details also emerged of the local doctor who lost nine of her 10 children in an Israeli strike on Friday. Gaza's Health Ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its offensive in March, vowing to destroy Hamas and return the 58 hostages it still holds from the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Israel also blocked the import of all food, medicine and fuel for 2 1/2 months before letting a trickle of aid enter last week after experts' warnings of famine and pressure from some of Israel's top allies. Israel has been pursuing a new plan to tightly control all aid to Gaza, which the United Nations has rejected. Israel also says it plans to seize full control of Gaza and facilitate what it describes as the voluntary migration of much of its population of over 2 million Palestinians, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Experts say it would likely violate international law. The new strike on the tent housing displaced people that killed the mother and children occurred in the central city of Deir al-Balah, according to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A strike in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza killed at least five, including two women and a child, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Only one of paediatrician Alaa al-Najjar's 10 children survived the Israeli strike on their home Friday near the southern city of Khan Younis. Both the 11-year-old and al-Najjar's husband, also a doctor, were badly hurt. The charred remains of the other children were brought to the morgue in a single body bag, said a fellow paediatrician at Nasser Hospital, Alaa al-Zayan. The home was struck minutes after Hamdi al-Najjar had driven his wife to the hospital. His brother, Ismail al-Najjar, was the first to arrive at the scene. They were innocent children," the brother said, with the youngest 7 months old. "And my brother has no business with (Palestinian) factions. Israel on Saturday said, The claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review." It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because it operates in densely populated areas. There was no immediate comment from the military on the latest strikes. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 people. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's 19-month offensive has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead. It does not provide figures for the number of civilians or combatants killed. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, often multiple times. A missile from the Houthis Separately, Israel's military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday. It triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Iran-backed Houthis have launched repeated missile attacks targeting Israel as well as international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Most of the targeted ships had no relation to Israel or the conflict. The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking ships. That informal ceasefire did not include attacks on Israel. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
