Alaa Al Najjar
Alaa Al Najjar | |
|---|---|
| آلاء النجار | |
| Born | Gaza Strip, Palestine |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Occupation | Pediatrician |
| Known for | Treating child victims in Gaza; losing nine children in an Israeli airstrike |
Alaa Al-Najjar (Arabic: آلاء النجار, born 1986 or 1987[1]) is a Palestinian pediatrician who works at Al-Tahrir Hospital, part of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Her name gained international attention in May 2025 after she lost nine of her children in an Israeli airstrike that targeted her family’s home in the Qizan an-Najjar area, south of Khan Younis.[2][3][4]
Early life
Alaa Al-Najjar comes from a Palestinian family working in the medical field. She worked as a general physician in pediatrics for years at the Nasser Medical Complex, where she was known for her dedication to treating children, especially during periods of military escalation in Gaza.[5]
Career
Alaa Al-Najjar worked as a general physician in pediatrics at the Al-Tahrir Clinic within the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. She is widely respected for her dedication to treating child victims of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, often working long hours despite severe shortages of medical staff and resources.[6][7][8] She returned to work shortly after giving birth to her youngest child, determined to help other children amid relentless attacks and a dire humanitarian crisis.[7]
Airstrike and personal tragedy
On the morning of Friday, May 23, 2025, Alaa left her home for work, while her husband, Hamdi Al-Najjar, returned home. Minutes later, an Israeli airstrike hit their house, resulting in the deaths of nine of their children: Yahya, Rakan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eve, Revan, Saydeen, Luqman, and Sidra. The eldest was 12 years old, and the youngest was six months old. Their tenth child, Adam, survived the strike but sustained serious injuries.[9] Her husband, Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, also a doctor at Nasser Hospital, was critically injured in the strike and succumbed to his wounds a week later.[10]
References
- ^ Lister, Tim (2025-05-24). "Nine out of Gaza doctor's 10 children killed in Israeli airstrike". CNN. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
- ^ "Israeli strike kills nine of Gaza doctor's children". www.bbc.com. 2025-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "آلاء النجار: طبيبة فلسطينية تُفجع بوصول جثامين تسعة من أبنائها أثناء عملها في مجمع ناصر الطبي". BBC News عربي (in Arabic). 2025-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Gaza doctor whose nine children were killed in Israeli strike dies". BBC News. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "Palestinian pediatrician in Gaza loses nine of her 10 children when her home is bombed". Le Monde. 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar: The doctor who couldn't save her ten children". Wafa. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ a b "Gaza doctor grieves her nine children killed in Israeli strike". Middle East Eye. 2025-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "A Gaza doctor went to work. Hours later, her children's bodies arrive". CNN. 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ "آلاء النجار... ما قصة الطبيبة الفلسطينية التي فقدت 9 من أطفالها في غزة؟". aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "استشهاد زوج الطبيبة آلاء النجار التي فقدت 9 من أطفالها جراء القصف الإسرائيلي على غزة | المصري اليوم". www.almasryalyoum.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-06-01.