Ashraf El Attar, a Nurse at Gaza’s European Hospital, Mourns the Loss of His Wife and Six Children in a Devastating Attack on Deir al-Balah
A Gaza nurse, Ashraf El Attar, has been left devastated after his entire family, including his wife and six children—among them four 10-year-old quadruplets—were killed in an airstrike on their home in Deir al-Balah. The attack occurred early Sunday morning as El Attar was preparing for work. Though he survived with minor injuries, his family perished in the strike.
El Attar described the horrific moment when he lost consciousness after hearing the alarm. When he regained consciousness, he found his home in ruins and his family gone. The nurse, who works at Gaza’s European Hospital, had been dreaming of a better future for his children, a dream now shattered.
His wife, Hala Khattab, was a dedicated teacher working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), providing support to Palestinian refugees. Despite their challenging journey raising the quadruplets, who had faced severe health issues in their early months, the couple was committed to giving their children a better life.
El Attar’s mother, who is mourning the loss of her grandchildren, expressed disbelief over why their home was targeted, stating that they had no connections with any organizations.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented on this specific strike but confirmed operations in the area over the weekend. The IDF maintains that it targets only armed groups and blames civilian casualties on Hamas, accusing the group of placing military assets in residential areas.
This tragic incident is part of the ongoing conflict that has seen over 40,170 people killed in Gaza since the start of the war, following Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.