Nine of the ten children of a married doctor couple in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Alaa al-Najjar, a paediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was working her shift on Friday when airstrikes hit her home in Khan Younis. She rushed back to find the house engulfed in flames, Ahmad al-Farra, head of the hospital’s paediatric department, told the Associated Press.
Her husband, Dr Hamdi al-Najjar, was seriously injured, and their only surviving child, an 11-year-old son, is in critical condition.
Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal confirmed that emergency crews recovered the bodies of nine children from the wreckage. Some were severely burned. The victims were aged between seven months and 12 years. According to Gaza health officials, two children remain trapped under the debris.
Footage from the scene showed rescuers pulling charred remains from the family’s destroyed home.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 79 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the past day, with more bodies expected as access to northern hospitals remains blocked.
Israel Launches Over 100 Airstrikes
Israel’s military confirmed it had targeted over 100 sites across Gaza, describing the Khan Younis area as an active war zone. It claimed militants were operating near its forces and that civilians had been evacuated prior to the strikes. Officials said allegations of harm to non-combatants were under investigation.
Civil defence reports state that at least 15 people died in Saturday’s strikes, including a family of four killed in a pre-dawn attack in Khan Younis’ Amal neighbourhood.
To the west, five more people were reportedly killed in a drone strike as they waited near aid trucks.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the ongoing conflict has now claimed 53,901 lives since the war began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, another 3,747 people have been reported dead. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
At Nasser Hospital, mourners gathered around white-shrouded bodies, grieving their loved ones.
“Suddenly, a missile from an F-16 destroyed the entire house, and all of them were civilians — my sister, her husband, and their children,” said local resident Wissam Al-Madhoun. “What did this child do to Netanyahu?”
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Despite Partial Aid Access
Israel’s siege on Gaza has prevented aid from reaching much of the population. Since early March, over two million people have been impacted by restricted access to food, water, and medical supplies.
However, in recent days, hundreds of aid trucks have entered the strip. COGAT, the Israeli body overseeing aid coordination, said 388 trucks crossed into Gaza this week, though pre-war levels averaged about 600 daily.
Israel faces mounting international pressure to allow more aid in. Food insecurity experts continue to warn of impending famine, as images emerge of Palestinians lining up at the few charity kitchens still functioning.
Israel has proposed a new aid delivery system under a U.S.-backed group, but the United Nations and other humanitarian organisations have rejected the plan, saying it violates neutrality and humanitarian principles. A leaked letter obtained by the Associated Press suggests Israel may allow aid groups to resume non-food assistance distribution.
Israel accuses Hamas of diverting aid, though UN agencies deny significant misuse.
Hospitals, already strained, face renewed threats. The European Hospital in southern Gaza has come under heavy fire since May 13. Its nursing director, Saleh Hams, said patients were evacuated after a strike, but 11 security staff stayed behind to prevent looting. It remains the only hospital in the area providing neurosurgery, cardiac, and cancer care.
Calls for Ceasefire and Hostage Release Continue
Israel says its campaign will continue until Hamas releases the remaining 58 hostages and disarms. Authorities believe fewer than half of those hostages are still alive, following the October 7 attacks where 1,218 people were killed and 251 kidnapped.
In Tel Aviv, demonstrators once again rallied on Saturday to call for an end to the war and demand the return of hostages. Protesters held up banners and candles in memory of those still held.
“We want the war to end now because we see it won’t lead to the hostages’ release — only more death and misery on both sides,” protester Jonathan Adereth told AFP.
Hamas has said it would release the hostages only in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — terms Prime Minister Netanyahu has refused. He insists on maintaining Israeli control and has supported what he calls the “voluntary emigration” of Gaza’s population.
“The Israeli government has a clear choice: deal or war, saving lives or abandonment,” said Liran Berman, whose siblings are among the hostages.
