A YOUNG girl hit by fragments of an intercepted Iranian missile in Israel at the weekend is fighting for her life in hospital.
The heartbreaking first photos released of the seven-year-old showed her smiling in happier and healthier times.
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Amina al-Hassouni was struck in the head by shrapnel in her home at 2am on Sunday morning.
The young girl was devastatingly caught in the crossfire as Iran and its proxy groups launched about 300 explosive drones at Israel.
Although 99 per cent of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli air defences, with the help of the US navy and Britain’s RAF, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), a small number did breach defences.
A little girl was said to have been wounded, as a military base in the south of Israel suffered minor damage.
Amina’s father Mohammed al-Hassouni has now released two images of his daughter, who is still in a critical condition, with the Jewish Chronicle.
One picture showed the schoolgirl smiling at a camera on a sunny day while another showed her looking content with her hair in pigtails.
The shattered dad told of the moment his little girl was hit by the missile after it blasted through their home – which was not equipped with a shelter – in the Bedouin village of Al-Fura.
Fragments of the Iranian missile hit young Amina as she slept.
Mr Al-Hassouni told the Jewish Chronicle: “We rushed out, went to our car and drove to Arad.
“There, Magen David Adom [Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service] met us and took Amina to the emergency room in Soroka Medical Centre.”
He added: “She is in a very serious condition, she went through two surgeries. They told us to wait so that’s what we are doing.
“We wait and we pray all the time.”
Eight others were reportedly brought to Soroka Medical Centre with minor injuries, including some who were also hit by shrapnel.
Medics caring for Amina warned that her life is still in danger and said they are working urgently to treat her major head wound.
Amina’s father said he now fears for the lives of his other 14 children, one of whom fell during the intense “unprecedented” barrage.
Mr Al-Hassouni said some time passed before their family realised that their son had hurt his stomach and was bleeding heavily.
The dad said: “They gave him medication, he is with us now, but he still suffers.”
Mr Al-Hassouni added that his children were too afraid to return to their home so his family must now live on the streets.
Amina was described by her dad as being a lively girl who loves to sing and dance, and someone her siblings depend on.
She is in a very serious condition … We wait and we pray all the time
Mohammed al-Hassouni
Mr Al-Hassouni continued: “Amina is not connected to this chaos, she doesn’t know anything, she doesn’t understand politics and she should be left out of it.”
The dad called on Israel to develop a stronger air defence system that will allow children to live their lives without fear.
Many of the missiles launched on Saturday were intercepted by the country’s Iron Dome air defence system, which uses radars to detect and intercept short-range rockets, missiles, and drones – with the help from the UK, the US, and other countries.
Israel has vowed to take “offensive and defence action” in retaliation to Iran’s unprecedented attack.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog said world leaders need to “make it clear” to Iran that its behaviour is “unacceptable”.
He told Sky News on Sunday: “We were attacked last night from four corners of the Middle East with proxies shooting at us, firing missiles and ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles.
“This is like a real war. I mean, this is a declaration of war.”
Iran claimed its attack was an act of self-defence which followed a deadly Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria.
The Iranian mission told the UN after the weekend’s strikes that “the matter can be deemed concluded”.
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I WAS IN JERUSALEM HOTEL WHEN IRAN LAUNCHED ITS ATTACK
By David Ross, Head of Video for The Sun, in Jerusalem
THE ALERTS came through on our phones after we arrived back at the hotel in central Jerusalem.
Like many others, we headed to our room knowing that Iran had just launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles in our direction.
Then, at 2am, we heard two enormous booms, followed soon after by emergency sirens.
Every Israeli knows the drill but for my wife Jess and I, it was the first time we’d experienced anything like it.
They call it terror for a reason: because it is terrifying. There’s a bizarre adrenaline rush too.
You don’t have time to think and you act on instinct.
It’s about grabbing any clothing you can and dressing as you quickly move to the safety of a shelter.
We headed below ground to Level -4 and remained there as the sirens continued to blare all around us.
After what felt like a lifetime – but was probably only 20 minutes – we were given the all-clear to return to our rooms.
Our hearts were racing as the footage of what was happening overhead exploded over X and the TV news channels.
We huddled together, glued to the latest developments.
By the time it was all over, the Israel Defence Forces managed to intercept 99% of the drones and surface-to-surface missiles.
A combination of the Arrow Aerial Defence System, the Iron Dome, Israeli aircraft and warplanes from the UK and US had saved countless lives – ours included.
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