An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nine children from the same family, according to medical officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The victims were the children of Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a physician working at the hospital. Her husband and one surviving child, an 11-year-old boy, sustained injuries in the incident.

Dr. Graeme Groom, a British surgeon volunteering at Nasser Hospital, reported that he operated on the surviving child. A video verified by the BBC and shared by officials from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry showed the aftermath of the strike, including images of small bodies being recovered from the rubble.

The strike occurred on Friday, contributing to a death toll of over 70 that day from Israeli air raids, with additional fatalities reported on Saturday. Gaza’s civil defense agency, also under Hamas administration, provided these figures to AFP.

Dr. Muneer Alboursh, director of the health ministry in Gaza, stated that the airstrike hit the family’s residence shortly after Dr. al-Najjar’s husband had returned home from driving her to work. The eldest child was 12 years old.

In a video posted by British surgeon Dr. Victoria Rose, also based at Nasser Hospital, Dr. Groom said the father, who is also a doctor, was critically injured. He added that the father had no known political or military affiliations and was not publicly active on social media. He described the family’s loss as “unimaginable.”

Civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal confirmed via Telegram that rescue teams recovered eight bodies and several injured individuals from the al-Najjar home, located near a petrol station in Khan Younis. The hospital initially reported eight child fatalities, later updating the figure to nine.

Youssef al-Najjar, a relative of the family, pleaded in an AFP interview for humanitarian relief: “Enough! Have mercy on us! We are exhausted from the displacement and the hunger.”

On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling it potentially “the cruellest phase” of the ongoing conflict. He also condemned Israel’s blockade on aid deliveries, which was imposed in March.

Although Israel eased the blockade slightly this week, allowing 83 aid trucks into Gaza on Friday, the UN has emphasized that this is far from sufficient for the 2.1 million residents of the territory. It estimates that between 500 to 600 trucks are needed daily to meet basic needs.

The limited aid has led to widespread desperation, with incidents of looting and crowds gathering at bakeries amid severe food shortages. A recent UN-backed report warned that the population of Gaza faces a “critical risk” of famine.

Residents report severe shortages of food and water, with many mothers too malnourished to breastfeed. Fuel shortages have also forced desalination and sanitation facilities to shut down, exacerbating the public health crisis. The ongoing Israeli military campaign continues to displace large numbers of people.

Israel has stated that its blockade aims to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages taken during the group’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 abducted. Israel has also accused Hamas of diverting aid supplies, a claim the group denies.

Since the start of the military campaign, Gaza’s health ministry reports that at least 53,822 people have been killed, including more than 16,500 children.