Tragic Loss of the Khattab Family in Gaza Airstrike

Tragedy Strikes the Khattab Family in Gaza

Hala Khattab’s home in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, was once filled with the laughter and energy of her six children. Her eldest son, Hussein, aged 15, and her four lively 9-year-old quadruplets—Kinan, Hamman, Lujain, and Sibal—along with her youngest daughter, Wakeen, who is just a baby, made their household vibrant.

On a fateful Sunday morning, an Israeli airstrike obliterated the family’s second-floor apartment, tragically claiming the lives of Ms. Khattab, a devoted 36-year-old teacher, and all her children, according to her family. Their father, Ashraf Attar, managed to escape, narrowly avoiding the disaster.

“We gathered the scattered body parts of the children,” recounted Ms. Khattab’s brother, Ahmad Khattab, a nurse residing nearby who rushed to help search through the rubble. He expressed his anguish, saying, “There is absolutely no explanation” for the strike that devastated their family.

The Israeli military confirmed that an operation took place in Deir al-Balah on that Sunday morning, asserting that their air force executed a precision strike targeting “a significant Islamic Jihad terrorist” who had been responsible for directing attacks on Israeli troops throughout the ongoing conflict. They claimed the strike was launched following warnings issued to civilians on Friday to evacuate the area temporarily.

However, the military did not identify the specific target of the airstrike, leaving it uncertain whether Israeli commanders believed the individual resided in the Khattab family’s apartment or elsewhere. Notably, the children’s father, Ashraf, is also a nurse and not affiliated with any militant group, as emphasized by Mr. Khattab, who is 35 years old.

The airstrike was powerful enough to demolish all the exterior walls of the family’s three-story building. The force of the explosion hurled Mr. Attar from their apartment, resulting in a broken arm and severe burns on his legs, according to his brother.

Ahmad Khattab noted that their residence was located in an area that had never been subject to evacuation orders throughout the past ten months of conflict, leading the family to believe they were safe there. Furthermore, he stated that they did not receive any evacuation order or warning call from the Israeli military prior to the strike.

This tragic event unfolded just one day before U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken referred to this moment as “decisive” for diplomatic efforts aimed at negotiating a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. This meeting occurred over ten months after Hamas initiated an attack into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 individuals and the abduction of approximately 250 others into Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

The toll on Palestinians has been devastating, with over 40,000 lives lost since the conflict began, as reported by Gazan health authorities. The impact on children has been particularly severe, as they find themselves caught in the crossfire of this relentless war.

Dr. Khalil al-Dagran, the director of Al-Aqsa Hospital, stated that his facility received the bodies of Ms. Khattab and her six children on that tragic Sunday morning. In a heartfelt video interview with Reuters, Mohammed Khattab, the children’s grandfather, mournfully asked, “What did these children do?” Ahmad Khattab shared that the family chose to bury all six children together in a single grave, a testament to their unbreakable bond.