Israeli Airstrike Kills Seven Children of Inas Farhat in Gaza

Watan-In the early hours of Wednesday morning, while Gaza City clung to hope for a fragile ceasefire, the sound of death shattered the quiet in the Zeitoun neighborhood, south of the city. In a devastating Israeli airstrike, seven children of Palestinian mother Inas Farhat were killed — a massacre that has shocked Palestinian society and deepened the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.

The Farhat family home, once a place of safety and dreams, was reduced to rubble, burying beneath it the lives of Inas’s sons and daughters. The children, hoping for nothing more than a peaceful life amid the chaos of war since October 7, 2023, were killed in their sleep.

Upon the arrival of the bodies at the hospital, the grieving mother Inas was given the title “Al-Khansa”, a name Palestinians use to honor mothers who have lost multiple children in war. Notably, the same title had once been given to her own mother, Um Nidal Farhat, who lost four sons in earlier battles — three before the war, and one during the current Israeli onslaught.

Inas herself was critically injured in the strike, which came without warning. She remains unaware of the full extent of her loss, as doctors and family members have withheld the news to prevent further deterioration of her already critical condition.

Shattered Family, Silenced Voices

Inside the Baptist Hospital in Gaza, a heavy silence hangs over the intensive care room where Inas is being treated. The family stands by her side, speechless, overcome with shock and grief.

Her sister, In’am Farhat (43), explained that Inas had initially fled to Deir al-Balah with her family for safety. After a ceasefire allowed displaced families to return, they came back to find their home burned and partially destroyed. Despite the devastation, Inas said: “Money can be replaced — what matters is that my children are safe.” Less than a day later, all her children except one — her son Ahmed — were killed in a direct Israeli strike on their home.

“At 2 a.m., while the family slept, the house was bombed without warning,” said In’am, choking on tears. “We received a call telling us their home had been hit. We tried calling everyone — no answer. We rushed to the hospital around 3 a.m. and found that most of the family had been killed. The force of the blast also killed people in the nearby displacement camp.”

In’as was found severely injured: with a skull fracture, head and facial trauma, and broken legs. Doctors worked quickly to stabilize her, and her condition has since been classified as serious but stable.

The Names of the Children Killed

According to In’am, the strike killed three sons and four daughters of her sister Inas:

• Mohammed (23) – the eldest, a high-achieving student

• Bisan (20) – studying computer programming

• Aseel (17)

• Sama (unspecified age)

• Twins Zaid and Saad (10)

• Lama (6)

Only Ahmed (21) survived — he had been away from the house at the time of the strike.

So far, Inas has only been told about Mohammed’s death, after she kept calling out his name upon arriving at the hospital. “She hasn’t stopped crying since she learned he died,” said her sister. To protect her, the family continues to tell her that her other children are in different hospital rooms.

Doctors have warned that continuous crying may further damage her eyes, already affected by her injuries. The family fears that once Inas learns the full truth, the emotional shock could endanger her fragile physical state.

“She told us she would have preferred losing her home rather than her children,” In’am said through tears. “But the bombing took everything.”