Words cannot express the depth of our sorrow and outrage at the deliberate killing of Tasneem, her two young children, and her unborn baby
- 4 min read
- Published: 25th September 2025
Israeli attacks kill Oxfam partner colleague, destroy clinics in Gaza
Israel’s destruction of three Oxfam partner premises this week underscores threat to Gaza’s humanitarian workers and facilities, including services to protect pregnant women.
*Update. 27/09/2025. Oxfam has received further information that another of the couple's children, Baqi, was killed on 20 September, in the airstrike which killed Tasneem, the couple's other two children, and unborn child.
Tasneem's husband, critically injured in the attack, underwent major surgery in an attempt to save his life. Some days later he succumbed to his injuries.
Oxfam Ireland is deeply appalled and mourns the killing of Tasneem, 27, and her two children, Sham (5), and Suleiman (3), in an Israeli airstrike on 20 September. Tasneem was a psychologist at Oxfam’s partner organization, Juzoor for Health and Community Development.
As of September 27th 2025, Oxfam has received further information that another of the couple's children, Baqi, was killed on 20 September, in the airstrike which killed Tasneem, the couple's other two children, and unborn child.
Tasneem's husband, critically injured in the attack, underwent major surgery in an attempt to save his life. Some days later he succumbed to his injuries.
Words cannot express the depth of our sorrow and outrage at the deliberate killing of Tasneem, her two young children, and her unborn baby, She was a dedicated humanitarian, working under unimaginable conditions to support others, and her loss is a devastating blow to all of us at Oxfam.
"The deliberate targeting of aid workers and the destruction of clinics providing life-saving care to pregnant women, children, and the sick is not only a violation of international law – it is a war crime and symptom of a continuing two-year genocide perpetrated by the Israeli state and supported by Western nations supplying weapons, military training and intelligence. We stand in solidarity with our partners in Gaza and demand immediate accountability and sanctions. Aid workers must never be targets. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed by Israeli forces, including over 20,000 children, in the past two years. The impunity must be stopped for the survival of Gaza.— Oxfam Ireland CEO Jim Clarken
Tasneem was pregnant when she died and had already lost her son Muslam in a previous attack last year. Tasneem’s husband remains critically injured from the recent attack.
Tasneem was a courageous and devoted humanitarian. Despite constant danger, she served those in desperate need to the end. Her death, along with her children, is a heartbreaking tragedy. This violence is destroying those who are trying to help. It is incomprehensible and it must end. Enough is enough.— Dr Umiayeh Khammash, Director of Juzoor.
In the last three days, two other Oxfam partners also had their premises destroyed in indiscriminate attacks by Israel. On Monday, the offices of Oxfam partners, Al Ataa, a women's association which works to empower and protect vulnerable groups, and a Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) clinic were destroyed. On Wednesday, the PMRS administrative headquarters/main medical centre building was destroyed by Israel, bringing the total number of PMRS centres destroyed to ten.
PMRS had been treating thousands of people in northern Gaza every day, providing primary healthcare, services for pregnant women and other vulnerable people, women’s health services, malnutrition clinics, psychosocial support, and specialist care in cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology, nephrology, nutrition, and ophthalmology. The destruction of their final two centres in northern Gaza this week, along with the forced displacement of staff and patients, is a devastating blow to the communities already struggling with very few health services and living through a two-year genocide.
“We are overwhelmed with grief, sorrow, and a deep sense of injustice, In a single moment, the sacred and noble work carried out by our doctors and humanitarian workers was destroyed, our facilities completely wiped out. At the same time, we are forced to suspend the work of our mobile medical teams in Gaza out of fear for their lives. The deliberate destruction of the services we provide is a message of extermination that endangers everyone.— Dr Bassam Zaquot, PMRS Gaza Strip Manager
Several Oxfam partners have been attacked by Israel since the beginning of the war, killing partner colleagues or destroying critical humanitarian infrastructure. These incidents reflect a deeply disturbing pattern of attacks on aid workers and humanitarian facilities, reported with increasing regularity by humanitarian organisations in Gaza.
Intensified Israeli military operations in Gaza City threaten almost one million people with forced displacement into overcrowded and ill-equipped so-called ‘humanitarian areas.’ Aid workers must be able to respond to the unimaginable needs of Palestinians in Gaza without the constant threat of Israeli attacks.
Note to Editor
Palestinians make almost one fifth of aid workers killed since records began: https://www.rescue.org/uk/press-release/palestinians-make-almost-one-fifth-aid-workers-killed-records-began
There are almost 1600 confirmed killings of aid and healthcare workers since October 8th 2023.
For interview queries, please contact:
Kate Brayden, Media Officer - Oxfam Ireland kate.brayden@oxfam.org +353 877 49 7447
Melissa Cooke, Content Coordinator – Oxfam Ireland melissa.cooke@oxfam.org +353 87 215 1152
