Tinotenda Hove – The Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dr. Tamer Almassri, has strongly condemned a recent Israeli airstrike that claimed the lives of nine children belonging to prominent Gaza pediatrician, Dr. Alaa al-Najjar.

The tragic incident occurred at the Nasser Medical Complex, where the children were killed while their mother was on duty treating victims of previous bombings.

“This is not just an attack on one family—it is an assault on every Palestinian life, every home, every hope for peace,” said Ambassador Almassri in a public statement.

The strike has sparked renewed outrage both within Gaza and internationally, as the civilian death toll in the war-torn territory continues to escalate.

According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 53,939 people have been killed since the onset of the conflict, with nearly 122,000 injured—many of them women and children.

Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, widely respected within Gaza’s overwhelmed healthcare system, had dedicated her life to saving others. Her return to discover the devastating loss of her entire family has struck a particularly painful chord across the region.

Healthcare professionals in Gaza have borne a disproportionate burden during the 19-month-long conflict. The Ministry of Health reports that at least 1,400 medical workers—including doctors, nurses, and paramedics—have been killed. Many lost their lives in clearly marked ambulances or while treating patients inside hospitals, many of which have been bombed into ruins.

In a separate incident early Monday, 36 displaced civilians were killed in another Israeli airstrike while sheltering inside a school—deepening what Palestinians describe as an unrelenting assault on every aspect of civilian life.