Palestinian Doctor Dies from Injuries After Israeli Air Strike That Killed Nine of His Children in Gaza

Dr Hamdi al-Najjar - pictured during a visit by his niece - died from his wounds on Saturday, health officials said

A Palestinian doctor who lost nine of his children in an Israeli air strike on May 23 has died from injuries sustained in the same attack, according to health officials in Gaza. Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, 40, succumbed to brain and internal injuries on Saturday after being hospitalized following the strike on his home in Khan Younis.

Dr. Hamdi Al Najjar seeing a patient. He was a pediatrician

The tragic attack occurred shortly after Dr. al-Najjar had dropped off his wife, Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, at Nasser Hospital, where both worked. The couple’s home was hit, killing their children Yahya, Rakan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eve, Rivan, Saydeen, Luqman, and Sidra. The youngest was just six months old; the eldest, 12. Their 10th child, 11-year-old Adam, survived but remains in critical condition.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated the incident was under review, noting that an aircraft had targeted individuals identified as suspects operating in a building near Israeli troops in a designated combat zone. The IDF described Khan Younis as an evacuated area declared unsafe for civilians, and said it was investigating claims of civilian casualties.

Mourners gathered for Dr al-Najjar's funeral on Sunday

Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar was a respected physician and founder of a private medical facility in Khan Younis, where he often treated impoverished patients free of charge. His brother, Dr. Ali al-Najjar, described him as a devoted father and compassionate doctor.

International aid workers at Nasser Hospital expressed deep sorrow over the attack. Dr. Milena Angelova-Chee, a Bulgarian doctor, detailed Hamdi’s extensive injuries to the brain, lungs, kidney, and arm. British surgeon Graeme Groom, who operated on Adam, described the injuries to the boy’s arm and body as devastating, calling the situation "unbearably cruel."

Dr. Hamdi Al Najjar, upper right, and his children.

9 of their 10 children were killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza

Despite being part of a family of medical professionals, Adam's survival remains uncertain. Italy's government has offered to treat him after an appeal from his uncle, who urged immediate evacuation to a facility equipped for his complex medical needs. Italy’s foreign ministry confirmed it is reviewing the logistics of transporting the child to safety and care.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in at least 54,418 deaths, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. The war began after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants on Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.