The Al-Shaer family went to bed without food in their Gaza City home. Hours later, an Israeli airstrike reduced the building to rubble—killing the parents and all five of their children in their sleep. Their deaths now symbolize the deepening tragedy of hunger and war gripping Gaza.
Highlights:
- Seven members of the Al-Shaer family were killed in a single airstrike
- The family had reportedly gone to bed hungry that night
- The strike came amid intensified Israeli bombardment across Gaza
- Over 100 people were killed in Gaza within 24 hours, including many children
- Humanitarian agencies warn of growing starvation and civilian suffering
Main Story
In the early hours of July 24, the Al-Shaer household in Gaza City was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Freelance journalist Wala al-Jaabari, her husband, and their five children all asleep were killed instantly. According to neighbours, the family had gone to bed without a meal, struggling like many others under the weight of Gaza’s collapsing humanitarian conditions.
The incident has drawn global outrage, especially as details emerged that the family had been among the thousands enduring hunger amid ongoing blockades and food shortages. Local health officials confirmed that more than 100 people were killed across the strip that day alone, as Israeli airstrikes targeted what the military described as “terrorist infrastructure.”
Israel did not issue a specific comment on the Al-Shaer bombing, instead stating that it had hit over 120 targets across Gaza. Meanwhile, aid agencies and rights groups have condemned the rising civilian toll, particularly children. The World Health Organization has raised alarms about hunger-related deaths, including at least 21 children under five.
This tragedy comes as ceasefire negotiations between Israel, Hamas, and regional mediators remain stalled. With no safe zones left and vital supplies like food, water, and fuel in short supply, Gaza’s civilians face a grim reality: a war where even sleep offers no safety.
In Gaza, the question no family should ever have to ask “Will we survive the night?”has become heartbreakingly common.
