Israeli strike kills nine of Gaza doctor\'s children bbc.com

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An Israeli air strike on Gaza hit the home of a doctor and killed nine of her 10 children, the hospital where she works in the city of Khan Younis says.

Nasser hospital said one of Dr Alaa al-Najjar\'s children and her husband were injured, but survived.

Graeme Groom, a British surgeon working in the hospital who operated on her surviving 11-year-old boy, told the BBC it was \"unbearably cruel\" that his mother, who spent years caring for children as a paediatrician, could lose almost all her own in a single missile strike.

The health ministry said at least 74 people had been killed by the Israeli military over the 24 hour-period leading up to about midday on Saturday.

Dr Muneer Alboursh, director of the health ministry, said on X that the al-Najjars\' family house was hit minutes after Dr al-Najjar\'s husband Hamdi had returned home after driving his wife to work.

Israel has accused Hamas of stealing supplies, which the group has denied.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas\'s cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 53,901 people, including at least 16,500 children, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory\'s health ministry.
Israel\'s military said its aircraft had struck \"a number of suspects\" in Khan Younis on Friday, and \"the claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review\".