### Israeli Air Strike in Gaza Kills Nine Children of Local Doctor

An Israeli air strike in Gaza has resulted in a devastating loss for Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, whose home was struck, leading to the deaths of nine of her ten children. According to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, where Dr. al-Najjar works, her husband and one surviving child were injured in the attack.

British surgeon Graeme Groom, working at the hospital, reported that he had performed surgery on Dr. al-Najjar's surviving 11-year-old son. A video, verified by the BBC, captured the harrowing moments of small, burned bodies being retrieved from the rubble of the family’s home.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a general statement on Saturday, claiming to have targeted over 100 locations across Gaza in the last 24 hours. The health ministry in Gaza reported that at least 74 individuals had been killed by Israeli military actions during this period.

Dr. Muneer Alboursh, the health ministry director, mentioned that the al-Najjar family home was hit just minutes after Dr. al-Najjar's husband, Hamdi, had returned home from dropping his wife at work. The eldest of their children was only 12 years old.

Mr. Groom described the situation faced by the al-Najjar family as unimaginable. Hamdi, who was also a doctor at Nasser hospital, sustained severe injuries during the strike. Groom stated that Hamdi had no known political or military affiliations.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for Gaza's Civil Defence agency, confirmed on Friday that teams had recovered eight bodies and several injured individuals from the site of the al-Najjar home near a petrol station in Khan Younis. Initially, the hospital had reported eight casualties among the children, but this number was later updated to nine.

Dr. Youssef Abu al-Rish, another medical professional, described in a statement how he found Dr. al-Najjar in the operating room anxiously waiting for news about her surviving son. In a moving interview, relative Youssef al-Najjar implored for mercy from all involved parties, highlighting the extreme suffering endured by Gaza's residents.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed grave concerns over the current humanitarian situation in Gaza, describing it as possibly the "cruellest phase" of the ongoing conflict. Despite a partial lifting of the blockade, essential supplies remain critically low, with only 83 trucks of aid entering Gaza recently, far below the required 500 to 600 trucks per day for the 2.1 million residents.

There have been chaotic scenes as people desperate for aid have clashed with looters and struggled to obtain basic necessities like bread and water. The chronic shortages have exacerbated malnutrition, particularly among mothers and infants. The intensifying military actions in Gaza are causing further displacements and worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Israel cites the blockade as a means to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. Meanwhile, accusations and denials continue between Israel and Hamas regarding the alleged theft of supplies. Since the initiation of the conflict following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 53,901 deaths, including 16,500 children. This escalating violence and instability are severely disrupting the delivery of vital aid to the affected population.