Israeli air strike in Gaza kills 9 children of Palestinian doctor

An Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, Gaza, has killed nine of the ten children of Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a pediatrician working at Nasser Hospital, hospital officials reported on Friday. Her husband and one surviving son were injured in the strike.

According to Dr. Muneer Alboursh, director of Gaza’s health ministry, the strike occurred shortly after Dr. al-Najjar’s husband returned home after dropping her at work. British surgeon Graeme Groom, working at Nasser Hospital, said he operated on the surviving 11-year-old, Adam, describing his condition as serious and the situation as "unimaginable."

Israel's military confirmed conducting air strikes in Khan Younis, saying its aircraft targeted "a number of suspects" operating near Israeli forces. The military acknowledged civilian harm claims are under review and reiterated that civilians had been advised to evacuate the area in advance.

Footage verified by the BBC showed charred remains of children being recovered from the debris. Gaza’s Civil Defence agency stated that eight bodies and several injured individuals were pulled from the rubble near a petrol station in Khan Younis. Later updates from the hospital confirmed the number of children killed had risen to nine.

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The strike comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations across Gaza, where more than 100 targets were hit in the last 24 hours, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Gaza health ministry reported at least 74 deaths in that period.

The incident coincides with mounting humanitarian concerns. The UN has warned that Gaza may be entering the "cruellest phase" of the conflict, citing shortages of food, water, and medicine. Despite limited aid convoys entering the region, humanitarian agencies say the supply is insufficient to meet the needs of the 2.1 million residents.