Navan surgeon's nieces and nephews killed in Gaza
A NAVAN surgeon has been devastated by the deaths of his sister's four children last night (Monday) as Israel launched a series of air strikes on Gaza leaving 400 people, many of them children dead.
Mahmoud Abumarzouq, an orthopaedic surgeon living in Navan with his wife and family has been devastated by the latest Israeli attack which claimed the lives of his sister's two sons and two daughters.
His sister Sheham is currently in intensive care with injuries from the blast. Her daughter, Noor who gave birth to her first baby, a little girl called Yaqout, just three days earlier is among the dead. The baby survived the bomb. Noor was a primary school teacher.
Shahem's other daughter Dina, who had just graduated with a degree in media, and sons Mohamed (16) and Rafat (15) were all killed in the overnight attack along with Shahan's in-laws. Fifteen members of the family were killed in last night's bombardment.
“It is terrible, heartbreaking,” he says. “My sister is badly injured and her children have been killed. Just three days ago they were so excited when I rang her about the birth of the new baby.
“Shaham is the oldest of our family and was so close to my parents. She always lived very close to them. My parents are grieving and have nowhere safe to go. It is isn't safe for them to go and have a last look at their grandchildren or to visit my sister.
“It is incomprehensible. The pain is unbearable, it is beyond what a human can bear,” he said.
“My brother, Ahmet Mahmoud, was killed by an Israeli bomb last year and I lost my brother-in-law and uncle in October 2023.”
Ahmet was just 29 when he was killed at the refugee camp in Rafah, where he was staying. “He was married with a little son, Faisal.”
Mahmoud's brother-in-law - Sheham's husband was killed in his own home in Yabna camp, which is in the south of Rafah city. They had been together 30 years.
“None of these people were involved in any of the violence. They were in their own homes when the bombings took place.”
“Those scars will never fade. We are heartbroken.”
Last night's devastation is particularly hard to bear given the relief felt last month when the ceasefire was implemented. The ceasefire had allowed some humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“The situation there was terrible. It has been a struggle to get food or water, medicines. There was no electricity or clean water and there has been a complete destruction of houses and cities. It is unbearable to think it has started again. 400 people were killed last night and most of them were children. It is brutal violence.”