A Palestinian man who lost nine of his children in an Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis, southern Gaza, has died from injuries sustained in the same attack, according to local health officials.
Dr. Hamdi Al-Najjar was critically wounded when Israeli forces targeted his family home on May 24. His wife, Alaa Al-Najjar—a paediatrician working at Nasser Medical Complex—was on duty at the time and was forced to identify the charred remains of their children after the strike. Only one child, Adam, survived but was injured along with his father, who succumbed to his wounds days later.
The Israeli military has said it will investigate the drone strike that levelled the Al-Najjar residence.
The tragedy has further spotlighted the devastating toll of Israel’s military operations on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, at least 972 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers across the occupied West Bank, according to figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In July 2023, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, urging the withdrawal of all Israeli settlements from the West Bank and East Jerusalem.