Tragic Aftermath: Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, Bereaved Father of Nine, Succumbs to Injuries Following Israeli Gaza Strike

A Palestinian physician has died from injuries incurred during an Israeli airstrike last week, which also resulted in the deaths of nine of his children in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a post on platform X on Sunday, Muneer al-Boursh, the Director General of the Health Ministry in Gaza, announced the death of Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, noting that he has now joined his nine children who had previously been killed.

Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, husband to Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, has tragically succumbed to his injuries following an Israeli airstrike on their home in southern Khan Younis. This devastating event has claimed the lives of their nine children, leaving only the grieving mother and her injured child as survivors. Dr. Muneer Alboursh shared this harrowing update on social media.

On May 23, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Najjar family’s residence in Khan Yunis, coinciding with the time when Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, the mother, was on duty in the emergency room of Nasser Hospital.

Several hours later, the remains of her nine children, identified as Yahya, Rakan, Raslan, Gebran, Eve, Rival, Sayden, Luqman, and Sidra, all aged between a few months to 12 years, were brought to the same medical facility, tragically ending their young lives.

Disturbing video footage circulating on the internet depicts the charred and dismembered remains of children being recovered from the debris of their home, as the blaze continues to consume the remnants of the structure.

Tragedy struck the Najjar family as they faced the devastating loss of nine of their ten children. The sole survivor among the siblings, 11-year-old Adam, along with his father, Hamdi, initially pulled through the unfortunate event. However, the family was dealt another blow when Hamdi succumbed to his injuries just days later.

Hamdi had reportedly dropped off his wife at Nasser Hospital and left to procure food for his children. Upon his return, he encountered a missile strike on their residence that did not detonate, prompting him to rush inside to save his children. Tragically, he was struck by a subsequent Israeli air raid. The father of nine children, killed during an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, is currently battling for his life. The Palestinian doctor, who endured the devastating loss of his nine children in the strike on Friday, is in critical condition.

In an official expression of sympathy directed to Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, the Palestinian Health Ministry honored her legacy, describing her as “the steadfast Palestinian woman and the distinguished doctor who mends the injuries of others while enduring her own pain in silence.”

The statement highlighted that this appalling act is not an isolated event but rather a component of a systematic assault on healthcare professionals and facilities, intended to undermine the resolve of those persevering in Gaza.

On October 7, 2023, Israel launched a military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a significant operation by the Hamas group, which was described as a response to the increased actions taken by Israeli forces against Palestinians.

Reports indicate that the situation in the region remains dire, with at least 54,381 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, reported dead and 124,054 others injured in the blockaded area.

Reports indicate that the occupying regime has intentionally obstructed the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, allegedly employing the starvation of civilians as a tactic in warfare.