IDF to probe strike killing nine children in Khan Yunis home

The BBC stated that one of al-Najjar's children and her husband were badly injured but survived, with her surviving 11-year-old son being operated on.

 The aftermath of an IDF strike on a house in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 22. (photo credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)
The aftermath of an IDF strike on a house in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 22.
(photo credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

The IDF said it would probe an Israeli strike that killed nine of two Gazan doctors’ children in a statement given to Israeli media.

The BBC initially reported the strike on Friday, citing the hospital where the doctors work.

Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a pediatrician, was working at the al-Tahrir Clinic at the time of the attack on her southern Khan Yunis home.

The BBC stated that one of al-Najjar's children and her husband were badly injured but survived, with her surviving 11-year-old son being operated on.

The IDF spokesperson stated that the Air Force had attacked suspects operating near Israeli forces, adding that the area had been cleared of civilians beforehand and that the claims of harm to non-combatants are under investigation.

 Smoke rises following a strike in the Gaza Strip. April 2, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
Smoke rises following a strike in the Gaza Strip. April 2, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

Colleagues claimed the couple had no connection to Hamas

Sources within the hospital testified that the couple had no connection to Hamas, and eyewitnesses said the mother collapsed when she saw the bodies of her children arrive at the hospital, N12 reported.

Dr Muneer Alboursh, director of the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, said on X/Twitter that the al-Najjars' family house was hit by a missile just minutes after the father returned home.

“This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain. In Gaza, it is not only healthcare workers who are targeted—Israel’s aggression goes further, wiping out entire families,” Alboursh wrote.