The director of a hospital in Gaza has issued a heartfelt plea for an end to Israel’s bombardment, following an air raid that reportedly claimed the lives of several infants.
Yousef al-Akkad, head of the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, stood beside bandaged and bloodied toddlers as he implored, “Look at these children. Who is killing these children?” His emotional appeal was captured in a video released by the Ministry of Health in the besieged enclave.
“Free world, where are you regarding these massacres committed against this bereaved and oppressed people?” al-Akkad continued. According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, an Israeli air attack on the al-Bakri family home south of Khan Younis resulted in at least nine casualties, including seven children. Many individuals were trapped beneath the rubble.
The news of the attack rapidly spread on social media, with images of the children’s bodies evoking outrage in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The operation room of the European Gaza Hospital was inundated with photographers, while women covered their eyes and doctors grieved.
“This is a massacre,” al-Akkad declared, his voice trembling with emotion. “Let the world see, these are just children.”
Both doctors and residents confirmed the children’s deaths in the attack, and The Associated Press news agency reported that the al-Bakri family was just one of many affected on that fateful day.
As of now, there has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which initiated a devastating air campaign on Gaza following an October 7 attack by Hamas, the governing body of the enclave, in southern Israel.
To date, the toll stands at at least 1,400 casualties in Israel and nearly 3,500 in Gaza, including 1,030 children.