Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, a paediatrician known for her unwavering dedication to children, has endured a tragedy beyond comprehension. An Israeli airstrike obliterated her home in Khan Younis, killing nine of her ten children in an instant. The sole survivor, her son Adam, now clings to life in hospital, while her husband fights severe injuries in intensive care.  

A mother of ten, Dr. Alaa devoted her career to caring for Gaza’s children, refusing more lucrative medical roles to remain in paediatrics—her true calling. Colleagues describe her as an extraordinary woman who balanced relentless hospital shifts with raising her large family, even as war made survival a daily struggle.  

"She left her own children to care for others, only to lose them all in a single strike," said Dr. Samia Abu Salah, her colleague at Nasser Medical Complex. "Now, she buries them one by one, then returns to Adam’s bedside, willing him to live."  

The Ministry of Health’s Yousef Abu Al-Rish praised her resilience, saying, "She stood before her children’s bodies with heartbreaking strength, her faith unshaken."  

Since October 2023, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed over 173,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, with thousands still missing. For Dr. Alaa, the war has stolen everything—except her determination to save the one child she has left.