Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, the only surviving sibling after an Israeli attack on their home in Gaza, and her son Adam are on their way to Italy for medical treatment, marking a heartbreaking chapter amidst ongoing conflict.
Italian Evacuation for Gaza Doctor After Family Tragedy
Italian Evacuation for Gaza Doctor After Family Tragedy
A Palestinian doctor and her son are evacuated to Italy after losing nine children and her husband in an Israeli airstrike.
Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a Palestinian physician from Gaza, is set to leave for Italy with her son Adam, the only member of her immediate family to survive. This evacuation follows the devastating loss of her husband and nine children in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Khan Younis on May 23. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have stated that the incident is under review, while the specifics of the attack remain contentious.
The Italian foreign ministry confirmed that Alaa and Adam, who sustained serious injuries in the attack, would be flown to Milan for medical care. The evacuation process involves traveling through Eilat in Israel, accompanied by other injured individuals and family members, facilitated by the Italian Air Force. The ministry highlighted that this mission marks the 150th Palestinian patient to receive medical evacuation to Italy from Gaza, along with over 450 relatives.
In an interview before their departure, Alaa expressed concern about Adam's condition, stating that his left arm is severely injured with broken bones and nerve damage. Their family had been reeling from the traumatic incident of the airstrike, during which Alaa's husband, Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar, sustained critical injuries and later died in the hospital. Adam had arrived at the medical facility with multiple severe lacerations and significant damage to his arm.
In the aftermath of increasing violence, including a wide-scale military campaign initiated by Israel against Hamas, figures released by Gaza's health ministry reveal over 54,000 fatalities since the onset of the conflict. Alaa now faces the uncertain future of health and healing in a foreign land, as citizens around the world continue to seek compassionate responses in the wake of tragedies like these.
