DaysofPal- The Abu Hadid family is enduring profound grief and life-threatening injuries after an Israeli airstrike struck their displacement tents in southern Gaza, killing seven relatives and injuring more than 20 others, many of whom remain in critical condition in the hospital.
The attack targeted a group of tents sheltering the family in the Asdaa area, northwest of Khan Younis, in the early hours of Friday morning.
Local sources described the strike as a fresh breach of the Gaza ceasefire, where it killed the family’s grandfather, Rabhi Abu Hadid; his sons Mohammed, Hazem, and Hajar; and three children, Lia, Sham, and Jibril.
“We went to sleep as children do, and we woke up to fire and destruction,” said 12-year-old Ritaj Ahmed Abu Hadid from her hospital bed at Nasser Medical Complex, where she is receiving treatment for severe injuries.
Displaced from Rafah with her family, Ritaj said there was no warning before the attack. “We didn’t know the warplanes were watching our worn-out tents,” she said. “Everyone inside was either killed or wounded.”
Ritaj sustained shrapnel wounds that caused damage to her spleen and kidneys, leaving her barely able to move. She remains bedridden alongside her younger brother Abdul Rahman, who suffered similar injuries.
In another intensive care unit at Nasser Hospital, Ritaj’s parents are fighting for their lives after shrapnel penetrated multiple parts of their bodies during the strike. Doctors described their condition as serious.
Ritaj’s aunt, Sharifa Abu Hadid, said all seven surviving members of the immediate family were injured to varying degrees.
She noted that several people urgently need medical evacuation outside Gaza due to the severe shortage of specialized medical care in the Strip.
“The mother is in critical condition in intensive care, and the father sustained serious head injuries,” Sharifa told local media.
“All five children were wounded, including the youngest, a two-year-old girl who is also in intensive care.” He added.
She explained that both Ritaj and her brother continue to suffer internal bleeding. Ritaj’s injuries include damage to her spleen and kidneys, while her brother sustained shrapnel wounds to his back in addition to internal bleeding.
Because of overcrowding and limited capacity, some family members with moderate or minor injuries were discharged from the hospital despite still requiring ongoing medical follow-up.
Sharifa Abu Hadid called for the immediate medical evacuation of the parents and the youngest child, especially with the possible reopening of the Rafah crossing.
She said transferring them for treatment outside Gaza could be lifesaving given the Strip’s exhausted health system.
Recounting the moment of the strike, she said the family was asleep when the airstrike hit without warning.
“Within seconds, the tents were engulfed in flames, and children’s screams filled the air alongside the explosion,” she said.
She stressed that the family posed no threat and that the attack underscores the continued targeting of civilians and displaced people, even in areas labeled as safe zones.
The Abu Hadid family’s ordeal is one of many tragedies unfolding in Gaza, where thousands of displaced families remain exposed to violence amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
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