Grief Beyond Measure: Palestinian Doctor Dies After Losing Nine Children in Israeli Air Strike

A devastating tragedy unfolded in southern Gaza as Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, who had been critically injured in an Israeli air strike, succumbed to his wounds days after losing all his nine children in the same attack.

Local health officials confirmed the heartbreaking news on Saturday.

“Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, husband of Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, succumbed to his injuries after the Israeli occupation bombed their home in southern Khan Younis, joining his nine children who were killed before him,” said Muneer Alboursh, Director General of Gaza’s Health Ministry, on X. “An entire family — all gone, except for the grieving mother and her wounded child.”

The fatal strike occurred on May 24, when Israeli forces bombed the Al-Najjar family home. Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a Palestinian paediatrician, was on duty at Nasser Medical Complex when she received the charred remains of her nine children. Her only surviving child, Adam, was injured alongside her husband.

Relatives say the children’s bodies were burned beyond recognition. The Israeli military has said it will investigate the drone strike that obliterated the family’s home.

Since October 2023, Israel’s relentless offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 54,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Humanitarian agencies warn of a looming famine threatening over two million people in the besieged enclave.

As the world watches, Gaza remains a landscape of rubble, grief, and survival — with one more mother now mourning the unimaginable.