Killing of al-Najjar children

On May 23, 2025, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombed a home in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip belonging to Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar and his wife, pediatrician Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, both employed at Nasser Hospital. The strike killed nine of the couple's ten children, ranging in age from 7 months to 12 years. Alaa had just started her hospital shift at the time and was unharmed. Hamdi, who was at the house, was critically injured and died of his wounds on June 1, 2025. One son, 11-year-old Adam, survived but required multiple surgeries and remained in treatment as of early June 2025.

According to a niece of the couple who had accompanied Hamdi after dropping Alaa at the hospital, the home was struck twice by the Israeli Air Force: an initial missile failed to detonate, prompting Hamdi to rush home to evacuate the children, after which a second missile caused the fatal explosion. The children's bodies were burned to the extent that their mother could not identify them.

The IDF stated it had targeted a group of suspects moving near Israeli troops and said reports of civilian casualties were under review. According to the Wikipedia article, no other victims of the strike are known, and the children's uncle said the area was deserted at the time. Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals at the Gaza Health Ministry, was quoted by Le Monde as saying the strike appeared to target the healthcare system by hitting the home of the two doctors.

The event drew wide condemnation. Hamas called it a "heinous crime," and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank described it as part of a systematic targeting of medical personnel. Munir al-Boursh, Director-General of the Gaza Health Ministry, said Israel's actions were "wiping out entire families." Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on May 27 that some Israeli media had circulated doubts about the event rather than acknowledging it. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese described it as reflecting a "distinguishable sadistic pattern" in the conflict. Brazilian President Lula condemned the strike as "shameful and cowardly." Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani offered to welcome Adam and his parents to Italy, and Italian authorities offered to evacuate the surviving child for medical treatment due to a lack of adequate care in Gaza.

The case is cited in broader reporting and advocacy discussions, including by Amnesty International, as part of a pattern of Israeli strikes on hospitals and health workers in Gaza that has contributed to accusations of genocide. Per the Wikipedia article, roughly 1,600 Gaza health workers had been killed since the start of the war through the end of May 2025.