In one of the most heart wrenching moments since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza, Palestinian paediatrician Dr Alaa al Najjar received the bodies of her nine children at the hospital where she works. An Israeli occupation air strike hit her family home in the Qizan al Najjar area of Khan Younis while she was on duty at Nasser Medical Complex.

The children arrived at the hospital burned and in pieces. Her husband, Dr Hamdi al Najjar, and one of their children survived the initial blast but are in critical condition. Colleagues described how Dr al Najjar collapsed in agony as she realised the victims were her own children.

The massacre has sparked renewed outrage among Palestinians, who say this war is not just about bombs and borders but about the systematic erasure of families, homes, and futures. Dr al Najjar’s story has come to symbolise the unbearable price civilians are paying in what Palestinians widely describe as a genocidal campaign by the Israeli occupation.

Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, has faced relentless bombardment in recent days. The area is overcrowded with displaced people who had fled the north believing it would be safer. Instead, entire neighbourhoods have been wiped out and hospitals are stretched beyond capacity.

Palestinian voices continue to call on the international community to act, warning that silence in the face of such atrocities amounts to complicity. Human rights groups have echoed these concerns, stating that attacks on civilian areas and medical staff are clear breaches of international law.