HandoutA nurse in Gaza has informed the BBC his spouse and 6 kids – together with a bunch of quadruplets – have been killed in an assault within the central Gaza strip.
“My complete household has been worn out immediately”, says Ashraf El Attar, “leaving me with nothing”.
The nurse – who works at Gaza’s European hospital – says his household residence in Deir-al-Balah was hit within the early hours of Sunday morning. He survived with minor accidents.
Israel has not spoken about this particular assault, however has mentioned its forces have been working within the metropolis. It says it solely targets members of armed teams.
Killed within the strike have been Mr El Attar’s spouse – Hala Khattab, a instructor – and their six kids – a 15-year-old boy, a one-year-old lady, and their 4 10-year-old quadruplets.
Chatting with BBC Arabic’s Gaza At present podcast, the nurse says that round 6am on the morning of the assault he was preparing for work when he “heard the alarm sound and out of the blue misplaced consciousness”.
When he got here to, Mr El Attar says he was in “extreme ache” and the home “was in ruins”.
All of the outer partitions of their condominium constructing have been destroyed.
“I desperately referred to as out for my kids and my spouse, nevertheless it was too late.
“My six kids, together with 4 twins, and my spouse have been killed immediately within the assault,” he says.
The strike took them without warning, Mr El Attar says. The evening earlier than, the household had frolicked “having fun with a cleaning soap opera collectively”, making an attempt to “escape the cruel actuality of struggle”.
Mr El Attar’s mom – and grandmother to his six kids – says she “can not comprehend” why their residence was hit.
“My son Ashraf works as a nurse on the European hospital, the place he’s devoted to serving to sufferers.
“We had no connections with any organisations,” she says.
The couple had an “extremely difficult time” elevating their kids, she says, specifically the quadruplets.
“The infants confronted extreme well being points of their early months and practically died.
“We supplied oxygen cylinders at residence, and certainly one of them, Hammam, underwent hernia surgical procedure,” she says.
HandoutMr El Attar says his spouse – Hala – was “devoted” to serving to displaced folks.
She was working for the United Nations Aid and Works Company (Unrwa), he says, a UN company that gives help for Palestinian refugees.
Now the nurse says he’s pressured to come back to phrases with the life they may have had collectively.
“I labored tirelessly to help my household and watch my kids develop up, dreaming of giving them a greater future – a giant home, a automobile, and cell phones,” he says.
However now “all these goals have been destroyed”.
“I demand justice for my household”, he says, one thing he vows to pursue by means of “any worldwide court docket”.
“Israel has dedicated a grave injustice. My complete household has been worn out immediately, leaving me with nothing.”
The Israel Protection Forces has not commented on this particular strike, however has mentioned it was working in Deir al-Balah over the weekend.
In one other assertion on Monday, it mentioned it had been working within the outskirts of Deir al-Balah “eliminating terrorists, destroying fight compounds above and beneath floor”.
It says it solely targets members of armed teams, and blames civilian deaths on Hamas – who it says locations fighters, weapons, tunnels and rockets in residential areas.
Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 folks in an assault on Israel on 7 October 2023, taking 251 others again to Gaza as hostages.
That assault triggered a large Israeli army offensive in opposition to Gaza and the present struggle, throughout which greater than 40,170 folks have been killed in Gaza, in keeping with the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.
