Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl from Gaza who found herself trapped in a horror no child should ever experience. Her story is one of fear, desperation, and a world that turned its back on her desperate cries for help.
On the morning of January 29, 2024, Hind and her family fled their home in Tel al-Hawa, seeking safety from the relentless Israeli assault on Gaza. They got into a car with her aunt, uncle, and several cousins, hoping to escape the deadly violence surrounding them (ref 3). As they navigated the war-torn streets, an Israeli tank targeted their vehicle. the initial attack claimed the lives of nearly everyone inside, except Hind and her 15-year-old cousin, Lian. Trapped inside the blood-soaked car, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of their loved ones, the two terrified girls fought to stay alive (2).
Lian, trembling with fear, managed to connect with the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS), her voice filled with panic. “There are Israeli tanks! They are firing at us!” she screamed before the call disconnected. (2). When PRCS called back, Hind answered. Her small, terrified voice pleaded, “Mshan Allah, ta’alu khuduni!”—”For God’s sake, come take me!” She begged the emergency responders to stay on the phone, desperate for comfort and reassurance (2).
As PRCS kept Hind on the line, they could hear Israeli military vehicles moving around her location. Hind was terrified and started screaming just before the connection was lost again (ref 2). Hours later, they reconnected, staying on the phone to calm her down while working to get permission for an ambulance to reach her. Since accessing areas under Israeli military control required authorization, PRCS had to negotiate access through a third party, as they had no direct communication with the Israeli army (2).
After hours of negotiations, PRCS was finally granted permission to send an ambulance to Hind’s location (2). But when the paramedics arrived, they were met with gunfire. A green laser targeted them, followed by relentless shooting and bombardment. Then, silence. The call dropped. PRCS initially believed the ambulance had reached Hind and that she was being treated (2).
Twelve days later, after Hind’s desperate cries for help had been heard worldwide, the truth was uncovered. Hind’s uncle, searching for answers, found the remains of the ambulance—it had been bombed. Inside, he discovered the lifeless bodies of the two Red Crescent paramedics, Ahmed and Youssef, who had risked their lives to save her. Nearby, he found the decomposing remains of Hind and her family. He could only recognize Hind by her clothes (2).
No law, no religion, no moral code justifies the terror inflicted upon a five-year-old child, left to suffer in a car full of corpses. What makes this tragedy even more harrowing is that the ambulance, which had been permitted to reach Hind, was deliberately attacked, ensuring she would not be saved. The paramedics—real heroes who risked their lives to rescue this angle (Hind)—were executed in cold blood while carrying out their humanitarian duty (2).
Hind’s murder was not an incident. Forensic investigations conducted by Goldsmiths, University of London, in collaboration with Al Jazeera, revealed that 335 bullet holes were mapped on the car’s exterior. Analysis of Lian’s last phone call recorded 64 gunshots fired in just six seconds, with the Israeli tank positioned just 13 to 23 meters away. Which indicates that the soldiers could see the car was occupied by civilians, including children (3).
Hind is just one of more than 10,000 children who have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza. During this genocide, a Palestinian child was killed every 15 minutes (ref 2). The deliberate targeting of civilians, medical professions and staffs, and humanitarian workers constitutes a war crime.
Hind’s family had already been displaced multiple times due to Israeli attacks. They were killed while fleeing for safety, following Israeli “evacuation” orders—orders that have proven to be death sentences for countless Palestinian families (4). The wilful or indiscriminate killing of protected persons, including civilians and humanitarian workers, is a war crime and must be prosecuted at all costs (4).
Hind’s tragic death is not an isolated event. It is part of a systematic and intentional campaign to exterminate Palestinian civilians in Gaza (2). No child should ever be forced to sit in terror, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of their family members, waiting for death. Hind’s story is a painful reminder that the world must not look away. The cries of Palestinian children must be heard, and those responsible must be held accountable.
This is not just about Hind. This is about justice. This is about humanity.
Refference:
