Killing of Hind Rajab
{{Short description|2024 killing of a Palestinian child in the Gaza Strip}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Killing of Hind Rajab
| location = Tel al-Hawa, Gaza Strip
| date = {{start date|2024|1|29|df=y}}
| partof = the Gaza war
| image = Picture of Hind.jpeg
| caption = Rajab at her graduation ceremony for senior kindergarten
| map = {{location map
|Israel gaza
|lat_deg = 31.50
|lon_deg = 34.47
|label = Tel al-Hawa
| caption =
| border = none
| float = center
}}
| map_caption = Location within the Gaza Strip
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q124477340|dim:IL-JM_type:event|display=inline,title}}
| type = Mass homicide, child homicide by gunshot; war crime{{cite web |last1=Clayton |first1=Freddie |title=Killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza may constitute a war crime, experts say |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/killing-six-year-old-hind-rajab-war-crimes-rcna162824 |website=NBC News |date=22 July 2024 |access-date=28 July 2024}}
| fatalities = 9 civilians
| perpetrators = {{army|Israel}}
- Beni Aharon (per Hind Rajab Foundation){{Cite web |title=Foundation identifies Israeli unit behind Hind Rajab's killing |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/foundation-identifies-israeli-unit-behind-hind-rajabs-killing |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}
}}
Hind Rami Iyad Rajab ({{langx|ar|هند رامي إياد رجب}};{{cite web | title=This document presents in readable and consistent English 52,959 names of martyrs first released in Arabic by the Gaza Ministry of Health on May 19, 2025 (dated May 11, 2025). Please use and share responsibly. Produced and published with permission May 20, 2025 by Iraq Body Count (IBC) | url=https://www.iraqbodycount.org/pal/moh_2025-05-20.pdf | page=84 | access-date=May 24, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Jazeera | first=Al | title=Know their names: Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza | website=Al Jazeera Interactives | date=2024-01-25 | url=https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2024/israel-war-on-gaza-10000-children-killed/ | access-date=2025-05-24}} {{date|3 May 2018}} – 29 January 2024) was a five-year-old{{efn|Most media sources reported Rajab's age at death as six years old. Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor{{cite news |date=February 2024 |title=Gaza: Initial findings show Israeli army purposefully kills a child, uses an American-made missile to target her rescue crew |url=https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6152/Gaza:-Initial-findings-show-Israeli-army-purposefully-kills-a-child,-uses-an-American-made-missile-to-target-her-rescue-crew |publisher=Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214130744/https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6152/Gaza:-Initial-findings-show-Israeli-army-purposefully-kills-a-child,-uses-an-American-made-missile-to-target-her-rescue-crew |url-status=live}} and CNN{{cite news |first1=Helen |last1=Regan |first2=Kareem |last2=Khadder |first3=Abeer |last3=Salman |first4=Khadder |last4=Zaanoun |first5=Celine |last5=Alkhaldi |first6=Jomana |last6=Karadsheh |date=10 February 2024 |title=Where is Hind? Calls for answers more than a week after rescuers go missing trying to save trapped 5-year-old |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/06/middleeast/israel-gaza-hind-missing-girl-prcs-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=21 February 2024 |work=CNN |quote=CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct Hind's age. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207114549/https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/06/middleeast/israel-gaza-hind-missing-girl-prcs-intl-hnk/index.html |archive-date=7 February 2024}} reported that Rajab was five years old. A list released by the Gaza Health Ministry in September 2024 of people killed during the Gaza war with their ID number, age, gender, and birthdate list Rajab as having been 5 years old.{{cite news |date=21 September 2024|first=Madjid |last=Zerrouky|url= https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/09/21/gaza-s-health-ministry-reveals-names-of-several-thousand-dead-over-11-355-of-them-are-minors_6726814_4.html |work=Le Monde | title= Gaza's Health Ministry reveals names of several thousand dead, over 11,355 of them are minors}} }} Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip who was killed by Israeli forces during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, which also killed six of her family members and two paramedics coming to her rescue.
Rajab and her family were fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins, with Rajab and another cousin surviving and contacting the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to ask for help while noting that they were being attacked by an Israeli tank. The cousin was later also killed and Rajab was left stranded in the vehicle for hours on the phone, as paramedics from PRCS attempted to rescue her. Both Rajab and the paramedics were later also found killed on 10 February after an Israeli withdrawal.
Israel claimed that there were not any troops present in the neighborhood and denied carrying out the attack. However, this was refuted by The Washington Post and Sky News's investigations relying on satellite imagery and visual evidence, which concluded that a number of Israeli tanks were indeed present and one had likely fired 335 rounds on the car that Rajab and her family had been in, with tank operators being able to see that the car had civilians including children in it. The Forensic Architecture investigation also concluded that an Israeli tank had also likely attacked the ambulance that came for Rajab.
In the aftermath of the killing, Western media outlets were criticized for their coverage of the incident, including for not attributing who killed Rajab and for their adultification of her. American student protestors renamed overtaken buildings in honor of Rajab, such as Hind's Hall at Columbia University, drawing increased attention to the incident.
Background
By November 2023, a month after the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, much of Gaza was largely deserted and bombed-out.{{cite news |date=15 November 2023 |title=The battle of northern Gaza is almost over |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/15/the-battle-of-northern-gaza-is-almost-over |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429223125/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/15/the-battle-of-northern-gaza-is-almost-over |archive-date=29 April 2024 |access-date=30 April 2024 |newspaper=The Economist}} By December 2023, the healthcare system in Gaza was collapsing due to Israeli attacks and a blockade of humanitarian aid.{{cite news |date=18 December 2023 |title='Bloodbath': Israel continues to target Gaza hospitals and civilians |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/18/bloodbath-israel-keeps-hitting-gaza-hospitals-amid-international-uproar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428082232/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/18/bloodbath-israel-keeps-hitting-gaza-hospitals-amid-international-uproar |archive-date=28 April 2024 |access-date=30 April 2024 |work=Al Jazeera}} Northern Gaza was particularly affected, as there were no functioning hospitals in the area by December due to lack of supplies, fuel and staff.{{cite news |first=Gabrielle |last=Tétrault-Farber |title=Northern Gaza no longer has a functional hospital, WHO says |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/northern-gaza-no-longer-has-functional-hospital-who-says-2023-12-21/ |date=21 December 2023|access-date=30 April 2024 |work=Reuters |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231227124937/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/northern-gaza-no-longer-has-functional-hospital-who-says-2023-12-21/#selection-447.0-447.25 |archive-date=27 December 2023}}
Killing
On 29 January 2024, Rajab along with six of her family members were fleeing from the Gaza City neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa,{{cite news |last1=Salman |first1=Abeer |last2=Za'anoun |first2=Khader Al |date=10 February 2024 |title=Five-year-old Palestinian girl found dead after being trapped in car under Israeli fire |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/10/middleeast/hind-rajab-death-israel-gaza-intl/index.html |access-date=11 February 2024 |work=CNN |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220093322/https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/10/middleeast/hind-rajab-death-israel-gaza-intl/index.html |archive-date=20 February 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hind-rajab-gaza-girl-6-found-dead-trapped-israeli-fire-rcna138263 |last=Da Silva |first=Chantal |date=11 February 2024 |access-date=11 February 2024 |title='They killed her twice': Hind Rajab's mother mourns girl, 6, found killed days after being trapped under Israeli fire |work=NBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229132238/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hind-rajab-gaza-girl-6-found-dead-trapped-israeli-fire-rcna138263 |archive-date=29 February 2024}} when an Israeli army tank shot their vehicle, a black Kia, killing Rajab's aunt, uncle, and four cousins.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Cate |last2=Harb |first2=Hajar |date=2 February 2024 |title=A 6-year-old in Gaza City was calling to be rescued. Did anyone find her? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/02/gaza-city-rescue-palestine-red-crescent/ |access-date=18 February 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=2641-9599 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240216132251/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/02/gaza-city-rescue-palestine-red-crescent/ |archive-date=16 February 2024}} The only other survivor, Rajab's 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamadeh, called the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) for emergency aid. Hamadeh was crying, further adding that "They are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. We're in the car, the tank is right next to us."{{cite news |last=Regan |first=Helen |date=6 February 2024 |title=Where is Hind? Calls for answers more than a week after rescuers go missing trying to save trapped 6-year-old |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/06/middleeast/israel-gaza-hind-missing-girl-prcs-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=12 February 2024 |publisher=CNN |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212002551/https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/06/middleeast/israel-gaza-hind-missing-girl-prcs-intl-hnk/index.html |archive-date=12 February 2024 |url-status=live}}
Hamadeh was heard screaming as she was killed under the sound of machine gun fire raking the car while still on the line with responders.{{cite news |last=Boboltz |first=Sara |date=10 February 2024 |title=Hind Rajab, Gaza 6-Year-Old Who Spoke Of Fear On Phone To Rescuers, Found Dead |url=https://nz.news.yahoo.com/hind-rajab-gaza-6-old-173554894.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229002323/https://nz.news.yahoo.com/hind-rajab-gaza-6-old-173554894.html |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=Yahoo! News |archive-date=29 February 2024 |language=en-NZ |quote=Hind had stayed on the phone for around three hours with the Palestine Red Crescent Society on Jan. 29, desperately pleading for help, the agency said... She was reportedly fleeing the city with her aunt, uncle and cousins when they were caught in gunfire. It was Layan Hamadeh, Hind's 15-year-old cousin, who initially called the Red Crescent for help until falling silent... The Red Crescent shared audio from the trapped kids on social media, where it horrified listeners worldwide.}}{{cite news |last=Kanj |first=Jamal |date=22 February 2024 |title=Rafah between Netanyahu's metaphysical power and the West's disconnect with reality |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240222-rafah-between-netanyahus-metaphysical-power-and-the-wests-disconnect-with-reality/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222110337/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240222-rafah-between-netanyahus-metaphysical-power-and-the-wests-disconnect-with-reality/ |archive-date=22 February 2024 |quote=Hind's uncle, Bashar Hamada, drove a black Kia Picanto along with his wife and their children: four-year-old Sarah, Mohammed, 11, Raghad, 12, Sana, 13, Layan 15, and their six-year-old cousin, Hind. Bashar heeded Israeli orders seeking a "safe zone" for his family and niece in Gaza. No room left in the crowded small car, Hind's mother and elder siblings fled on foot.
On 29 January, it was a little after one in the afternoon when an Israeli tank blocked the road ahead of the car. Bashar frantically waved a white flag. The machine gun on the turret pointed at the car. The maze of the machine gun's sight spider web shielded the gunner's face. The tank swung its heavy gun swiftly in the direction of the car. The ominous 120mm black hole glared at them. The children cried out in terror. Suddenly, a blazing flare, and a ball of fire flickered from the machine gun. A burst of bullets shattered the windshield, bullets ricocheted off the body of the car.}} When the dispatchers called back, Rajab answered the call, stating everyone else in the car was dead and that the tank continued to approach the car.{{cite news |first=Emine |last=Sinmaz |title=Cousin of Hind Rajab, 6, haunted by her last call after family car shot at in Gaza |date=11 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/11/cousin-of-hind-rajab-6-haunted-by-her-last-call-after-family-car-shot-at-in-gaza |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508233115/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/11/cousin-of-hind-rajab-6-haunted-by-her-last-call-after-family-car-shot-at-in-gaza |archive-date=8 May 2024 |access-date=21 February 2024 |url-status=live}} Rajab stayed on the line with the PRCS for three hours, telling the dispatcher, "I'm so scared, please come. Come take me. Please, will you come?"{{Cite news |last=Sinmaz |first=Emine |date=10 February 2024 |title='I'm so scared, please come': Hind Rajab, six, found dead in Gaza 12 days after cry for help |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/10/im-so-scared-please-come-hind-rajab-six-found-dead-in-gaza-12-days-after-cry-for-help |access-date=11 February 2024 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508233242/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/10/im-so-scared-please-come-hind-rajab-six-found-dead-in-gaza-12-days-after-cry-for-help |archive-date=8 May 2024 |url-status=live}} Her grandfather later told reporters that Rajab was injured in the back, hand and foot.{{Cite news |date=10 February 2024 |title=Six-year-old Gaza girl found dead days after pleading for help |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240210-six-year-old-gaza-girl-found-dead-days-after-pleading-for-help |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=France 24 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212200446/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240210-six-year-old-gaza-girl-found-dead-days-after-pleading-for-help |archive-date=12 February 2024 |url-status=live}} Rajab, who was instructed to continue hiding in the vehicle, was set to be rescued by a PRCS ambulance.{{cite news |last1=Salam |first1=Yasmine |title=6-year-old girl in Gaza goes missing after she is caught in fighting |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hind-palestinian-girl-missing-gaza-rcna136905 |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=NBC News |date=4 February 2024 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211151128/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hind-palestinian-girl-missing-gaza-rcna136905 |archive-date=11 February 2024 |url-status=live}} The audio of the phone call between the PRCS, Hamadeh and Rajab was published by the Red Crescent on 3 February.
As the area was besieged, the PRCS worked with the Gaza Health Ministry and the Israeli military to guarantee safe passage for their ambulance crew to rescue Rajab. After hours of waiting, the PRCS says it was given the approval to send the ambulance along a designated route.{{Cite news |first1= Stuart |last1= Ramsay |first2= Dominique |last2= van Heerden |first3= Olive |last3= Enokido-Lineham |title='I'm so scared, please come': Heartbreaking final moments of girl, 5, killed in Gaza |url=https://news.sky.com/story/im-so-scared-please-come-heartbreaking-final-moments-of-girl-5-killed-in-gaza-13229813 |access-date=2024-10-08 |work=Sky News |language=en}} The ambulance reported that they were being targeted by the Israeli military with lasers; according to the Washington Post, social media posts suggest that these lasers have in the past also been used by Hamas, but that a researcher at the Institute for the Study of War had not observed the use of such lasers by either side in the conflict. After sounds of gunfire or an explosion, the connection was lost.{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/10/body-of-6-year-old-killed-in-deliberate-israeli-fire-found-after-12-days |title=Body of 6-year-old killed in 'deliberate' Israeli fire found after 12 days |date=10 February 2024 |work=Al Jazeera |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219001124/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/10/body-of-6-year-old-killed-in-deliberate-israeli-fire-found-after-12-days |archive-date=19 February 2024}} The fate of Rajab and the paramedics was unknown{{cite news |title=Israeli forces 'deliberately targeted' medics sent to rescue little girl |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/10/israels-war-on-gaza-live-death-toll-nears-28000-as-rafah-assault-looms?update=2696476 |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=11 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210112032/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/10/israels-war-on-gaza-live-death-toll-nears-28000-as-rafah-assault-looms?update=2696476 |archive-date=10 February 2024 |url-status=live}} until 12 days later on 10 February 2024, when the family returned after the withdrawal of the Israeli military, discovering the car with Rajab, Hamadeh, and the rest of her uncle's entire family deceased.{{cite magazine |last1=Zaanoun |first1=Adel |title=Six-year-old Gaza Girl Found Dead Days After Pleading For Help |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/six-year-old-gaza-girl-found-dead-days-after-pleading-for-help-db84cdc7 |access-date=11 February 2024 |magazine=Barron's |archive-date=10 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210120611/https://www.barrons.com/news/six-year-old-gaza-girl-found-dead-days-after-pleading-for-help-db84cdc7 |url-status=live}} The windows were blown out, and the doors were covered with bullet holes.{{Cite news |last=Graziosi |first=Graig |date=11 February 2024 |title=A child and the medics trying to save her were killed by Israeli tanks |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestinian-girl-killed-israeli-tanks-hind-rajab-b2494129.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211180243/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestinian-girl-killed-israeli-tanks-hind-rajab-b2494129.html |archive-date=11 February 2024 |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=The Independent |language=en |url-status=live}} The Red Crescent ambulance was found a few feet away, completely destroyed{{Cite news |last=Abdulrahim |first=Raja |date=10 February 2024 |title=Missing 6-Year-Old and Rescue Team Found Dead in Gaza, Aid Group Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/world/middleeast/hind-rajab-gaza.html |access-date=11 February 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=10 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210232956/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/world/middleeast/hind-rajab-gaza.html |url-status=live}} with two ambulance workers,{{cite news |date=10 February 2024 |title=Bodies of Gaza girl, ambulance team trapped under Israeli fire found after 12 days |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-11/body-of-gaza-girl-ambulance-team-trapped-under-israeli-fire-foun/103452508 |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU |archive-date=11 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211220725/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-11/body-of-gaza-girl-ambulance-team-trapped-under-israeli-fire-foun/103452508 |url-status=live}} Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, also killed.{{cite news |last1=Williamson |first1=Lucy |date=10 February 2024 |title=Hind Rajab, 6, found dead in Gaza days after phone calls for help |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68261286 |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=BBC News |archive-date=12 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212012311/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68261286 |url-status=live}}
Investigation
File:Destroyed car hind was in.jpg
According to an initial investigation from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, Rajab and her relatives were killed by the Israeli army in a "planned execution"; using a US-made missile, the IDF also killed the Red Crescent paramedics sent to rescue the young girl. Shell fragments of an American-made M830A1 projectile were found at the site of the bombed Red Crescent ambulance that was looking for Rajab and her family.{{cite web |url=https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6152/Gaza:-Initial-findings-show-Israeli-army-purposefully-kills-a-child,-uses-an-American-made-missile-to-target-her-rescue-crew |title=Gaza: Initial findings show Israeli army purposefully kills a child, uses an American-made missile to target her rescue crew |date=12 February 2024 |website=Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214130744/https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6152/Gaza:-Initial-findings-show-Israeli-army-purposefully-kills-a-child,-uses-an-American-made-missile-to-target-her-rescue-crew |url-status=live}} A spokesperson for the U.S. government said that it would wait for Israel to conclude its investigation of the incident.{{cite news |date=15 February 2024 |title=US official pressed about killings of Hind Rajab and Samer Abudaqa |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/2/15/us-official-pressed-about-killings-of-hind-rajab-and-samer-abudaqa |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=16 June 2024}}
An IDF spokesperson stated there were no IDF troops near the vehicle or within firing range and that, due to the lack of troops, ambulance coordination was unnecessary to rescue Rajab.{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Emanuel |title=IDF says probe indicates no troops were in area where 6-year-old Gazan girl was killed |work=Times of Israel |date=24 February 2024 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-probe-indicates-no-troops-were-in-area-where-6-year-old-gazan-girl-was-killed/ |access-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303073015/https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-probe-indicates-no-troops-were-in-area-where-6-year-old-gazan-girl-was-killed/ |archive-date=3 March 2024}} In response to the IDF statements, Al Jazeera stated, "Israel has a history of swiftly clearing its troops of any wrongdoing in cases of abuse against Palestinians."{{cite news |title=Israel says its troops were not present where Palestinian girl Hind was killed |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/25/israels-war-on-gaza-live-rafah-strikes-further-harming-aid-efforts-un?update=2732690 |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=26 February 2024 |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226004433/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/25/israels-war-on-gaza-live-rafah-strikes-further-harming-aid-efforts-un?update=2732690 |url-status=live}} An Al Jazeera investigation further found that three Israeli tanks were in the vicinity of Rajab's family vehicle at the time of the attack.{{cite news |title=Hind Rajab: Were Israeli troops around where the six-year-old was killed? |work=Al Jazeera |date=26 February 2024 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/26/hind-rajab-were-israeli-troops-in-the-area-where-6-year-old-was-killed |access-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301005731/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/26/hind-rajab-were-israeli-troops-in-the-area-where-6-year-old-was-killed |archive-date=1 March 2024}}
The investigation was reportedly handed over to the General Staff Fact Finding Assessment Mechanism, described as an independent military body that investigates unusual incidents. The United States has also raised calls for Rajab's death to be investigated in a timely manner, stating they were "devastated" about Rajab's death.{{cite news |last=Magid |first=Jacob |date=13 February 2024 |title=US calls for 'urgent' probe into alleged IDF killing of 6-year-old Gazan girl |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-calls-for-urgent-probe-into-alleged-idf-killing-of-6-year-old-gazan-girl/ |access-date=26 February 2024 |work=The Times of Israel |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226174407/https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-calls-for-urgent-probe-into-alleged-idf-killing-of-6-year-old-gazan-girl/ |url-status=live}} PRCS told The Intercept that the Israeli military never contacted it regarding the killing of Rajab and the attack on its ambulances, refuting the State Department's remarks that PRCS and the United Nations had rebuffed Israeli efforts to investigate the incident.{{cite web |last1=Thakker |first1=Prem |title=Red Crescent Says Israel Never Reached Out About Hind Rajab's Death, Despite State Department Claim That Israel Said Otherwise |url=https://theintercept.com/2024/06/25/israel-hind-rajab-child-killing/ |website=The Intercept |access-date=June 25, 2024 |date=June 25, 2024}}
An investigation conducted by The Washington Post in April 2024 countered claims made by the Israeli military. The investigation, which used satellite imagery, concluded that Israeli armored vehicles were in the vicinity of the car where Rajab was killed, and the 300mm hole on the Red Crescent ambulance is consistent with an Israeli tank round, although it cautioned that this was just one explanation, as "there is little data on craft-produced Hamas munitions".{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Meg |last2=Harb |first2=Hajar |last3=Loveluck |first3=Louisa |last4=Berger |first4=Miriam |last5=Brown |first5=Cate |date=16 April 2024 |title=Palestinian paramedics said Israel gave them safe passage to save a 6-year-old girl in Gaza. They were all killed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/hind-rajab-israel-gaza-killing-timeline/|access-date=16 April 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} The Post also confirmed that the wreckage of the ambulance was found on a route provided by COGAT, an arm of Israeli Defense Ministry that coordinates safe passages for medical vehicles with the IDF. Sky News reported in October 2024 that the damage to the ambulance was consistent with having been hit by a "large calibre weapon", citing an expert from Janes Information Services. The report indicated that while the IDF said it was not in the area at the time of the incident, it may have inadvertently contradicted this assertion by publishing a press release about its operations in the Shati and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods, which was later deleted from its website. Further investigation by Sky News revealed satellite imagery taken on 29 January, the day of the attack, showing at least 15 military vehicles in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, with the closest vehicle located just 300 meters from the site of the ambulance attack.
Forensic Architecture publicized its investigation in June 2024, which relied on visual, audio and other collected evidence, to reconstruct the event. The investigation concluded that an Israeli tank had likely fired 335 rounds on the car that Rajab and her family had been in, and that tank operators would have been able to see that the car had civilians including children in it. It also concluded that an Israeli tank had also likely attacked the ambulance that came to the aid of Rajab.{{cite web |url=https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-killing-of-hind-rajab |title=The Killing of Hind Rajab |work=Forensic Architecture |accessdate=22 June 2024}} Independent experts appointed in July 2024 by the United Nations Human Rights Council stated Rajab's killing might amount to a war crime.{{cite web |last1=Clayton |first1=Freddie |title=Killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza may constitute a war crime, experts say |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/killing-six-year-old-hind-rajab-war-crimes-rcna162824 |website=NBC News |date=22 July 2024 |access-date=28 July 2024}}
On 3 May 2025, which would have been Hind's seventh birthday, the Hind Rajab Foundation claimed that it had identified the commander of the battalion that had killed Hind as Lieutenant Colonel Beni Aharon of the 401st Armored Brigade and filed a war crimes complaint against him with the International Criminal Court.{{cite web |title=الحرب على غزة مباشر.. القسام تبث تسجيلا لأسير لديها ومقتل جنديين برفح |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/liveblog/2025/5/3/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%B1 |website=Al Jazeera |date=3 May 2025 |access-date=3 May 2025 |language=ar}}{{Cite web |title=Foundation identifies Israeli unit behind Hind Rajab's killing |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/foundation-identifies-israeli-unit-behind-hind-rajabs-killing |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}
Impact
Rajab's case garnered international attention with calls by activists and humanitarian organizations to help find her and bring her to safety when she was missing for the 12 days. Her mother begged for the international community not to forget her daughter and to bring her home.{{cite news |date=5 February 2024 |title=Israel-Gaza war: Unknown fate of six-year-old Hind Rajab trapped under fire |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68180642 |access-date=11 February 2024 |work=BBC |last=Williamson |first=Lucy |language=en-GB |archive-date=11 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211003435/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68180642 |url-status=live}} The Palestinian Red Crescent utilized their social media accounts to post photos of both paramedics and Rajab for multiple days, while appealing for information about their locations. Multiple news agencies reached out to the Israeli military for comment about the incident. On 2 February, the Israeli military told CNN reporters it was "unfamiliar with the incident". When they were contacted again three days later, they reported they "were still looking into it".
After the discovery of her body, many pro-Palestinian figures criticised Western media outlets for stating that Rajab had been "found dead" without attributing her death to Israel, contrasting it with the sympathetic coverage of the deaths of children in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite news |url=https://www.albawaba.com/node/western-media-outlets-rebuked-over-coverage-hind-story-1552762 |newspaper=Al Bawaba |title=Western media outlets rebuked over coverage of Hind story |date=12 February 2024 |access-date=12 February 2024 |archive-date=12 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212092117/https://www.albawaba.com/node/western-media-outlets-rebuked-over-coverage-hind-story-1552762 |url-status=live}} Rajab's mother was critical of the Israeli army after the confirmed death of her daughter, stating, "How many more mothers are you waiting to feel this pain? How many more children do you want to get killed?". The Red Crescent laid the blame of the incident at Israel, accusing it of deliberately targeting the ambulance crew.{{Cite web |date=10 February 2024 |title=Body of Gaza girl found days after recordings emerged of her pleas for help under fire |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/body-of-gaza-girl-found-days-after-recordings-emerged-of-her-pleas-for-help-under-fire/ |access-date=12 February 2024 |website=The Times of Israel |archive-date=8 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508233842/https://www.timesofisrael.com/body-of-gaza-girl-found-days-after-recordings-emerged-of-her-pleas-for-help-under-fire/ |url-status=live}} The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the International Criminal Court to hold those responsible for Rajab's death accountable.{{cite news |title=Palestinian Foreign Ministry slams killing of Hind Rajab |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/11/israels-war-on-gaza-live-leaders-warn-of-catastrophe-if-rafah-invaded?update=2699052 |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=13 February 2024 |archive-date=8 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508233617/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/11/israels-war-on-gaza-live-leaders-warn-of-catastrophe-if-rafah-invaded?update=2699052 |url-status=live}} On 13 February, the human rights group Justice For All submitted a case to the ICC charging the IDF with multiple war crimes for the killing of Rajab.{{cite web |title=Justice For All Takes Action: Highlighting Israel's Role in Hind Rajab's Death Through Submission to the International Criminal Court |url=https://www.justiceforall.org/palestine/hind-rajab-press-release/ |website=justiceforall.org |date=13 February 2024 |access-date=3 April 2024 |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301013137/https://www.justiceforall.org/palestine/hind-rajab-press-release/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=2024-02-19 |title=Humanising war victims |url=https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/humanising-war-victims/103487178 |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=ABC News |language=en-AU}}
Pro-Palestinian student protesters participating in the campus occupation at Columbia University in New York City seized Hamilton Hall, an academic building on the university's Morningside Heights campus in April 2024. The students unfurled a large banner renaming the building "Hind's Hall" in honor of the child.{{Cite news |first=Ali |last=Watkins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/nyregion/columbia-protesters-hind-rajab-hamilton-hall.html |title=Columbia Protesters Rename Hamilton Hall to 'Hind's Hall' |work=The New York Times |date=30 April 2024 |via=NYTimes.com |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430143040/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/nyregion/columbia-protesters-hind-rajab-hamilton-hall.html |url-status=live}} During a segment on CNN that discussed the renaming of the hall, host Kasie Hunt explained to viewers: "Hind is a reference to a woman who was killed in Gaza." This description was criticized as an example of the adultification of Palestinian children and a pro-Israel bias on CNN.{{Cite news |last=Mahdawi |first=Arwa |date=4 May 2024 |title=The adultification of children has consequences from Palestine to the US |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/04/adultification-children-palestine-us |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=8 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508233826/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/04/adultification-children-palestine-us |url-status=live}} UC Berkeley student protesters occupied an abandoned historic campus building on May 16 known as the Anna Head complex and renamed it "Hind's House."{{Cite web |last=Dinkelspiel |first=Frances |date=16 May 2024 |title=Preservationists worry about fate of occupied Cal building |url=https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2024/05/16/uc-berkeley-crime/berkeley-preservationists-worry-fate-anna-head-occupied-building/ |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=The Berkeley Scanner |language=en |archive-date=23 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523175304/https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2024/05/16/uc-berkeley-crime/berkeley-preservationists-worry-fate-anna-head-occupied-building/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Regimbal |first=Alec |title=12 people arrested in occupation of abandoned UC Berkeley hall |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/pro-palestinian-protesters-occupy-uc-berkeley-hall-19462655.php |access-date=30 May 2024 |work=SFGATE |language=en |archive-date=29 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529223250/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/pro-palestinian-protesters-occupy-uc-berkeley-hall-19462655.php |url-status=live}}
American rap artist Macklemore released "Hind's Hall", a protest song honoring Rajab and supporting student protests, in May 2024. He criticized the music industry's supposed prioritization of "petty issues" such as the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud over the war. As part of the track's release, Macklemore stated that all proceeds generated from streams would go towards UNRWA.{{cite news |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |title=Macklemore releases pro-Palestine track Hind's Hall |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/macklemore-hinds-hall-lyrics-palestine-drake-b2540756.html |access-date=7 May 2024 |work=The Independent |date=7 May 2024 |language=en |archive-date=7 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507103128/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/macklemore-hinds-hall-lyrics-palestine-drake-b2540756.html |url-status=live}} In September 2024, he followed up with "Hind's Hall 2", which also directed its proceeds to UNRWA. The new track featured vocals from Palestinian rapper MC Abdul, Palestinian-American singer Anees, author and activist Amer Zahr, and choir vocals from the L.A. Palestinian Kids Choir, Lifted! Youth Gospel Choir, Tiffany Wilson, and Friends.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/macklemore-hinds-hall-2-f-america-chant-seattle-show-1235781597/|title=Macklemore Drops 'Hind's Hall 2' Protest Track, Leads 'F–k America' Chant at Seattle Show|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=23 September 2024|magazine=Billboard|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923160118/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/macklemore-hinds-hall-2-f-america-chant-seattle-show-1235781597/|archive-date=23 September 2024|url-status=live|access-date=23 September 2024}}
Owen Jones argued in an August 2024 editorial that Rajab's killing fit into a pattern of other Israeli atrocities; he wrote, "After each atrocity it perpetrates, the Israeli state has a standard modus operandi: deny, deflect, deceive, and wait for attention to move elsewhere."{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Owen |title=Hind Rajab's death has already been forgotten. That's exactly what Israel wants |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/18/hind-rajab-israeli-state-atrocity?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other |website=The Guardian |date=18 August 2024 |access-date=15 September 2024}}
The Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization dedicated to holding Israeli soldiers accountable for alleged war crimes, is named after her.{{cite news |last1=Speakman Cordall |first1=Simon |title=Sense of impunity 'absolute': The NGO holding Israeli soldiers to account |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/10/impunity-and-accountability-the-ngo-holding-israeli-troops-to-account |work=Al Jazeera |date=10 January 2025 |access-date=18 January 2025}}{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/about-us.html |access-date=7 January 2025 |website=The Hind Rajab Foundation}}
At the one year anniversary from Hinds' killing, a vigil was organised at Zuccotti Park in New York by Palestinian groups on 29 January 2025. As a reaction, the group Betar US announced a counter-protest at the park, calling the event a "jihad rally" and promised to record the attendees in an effort to get them deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At the vigil, hecklers shouted “Show us your faces so we could get you deported” and “We’re with ICE,” then repeatedly chanting, “ICE, ICE, ICE,” according to a video posted by the group.{{Cite web |last=Valdez |first=Jonah |date=2025-02-06 |title=The Far-Right Group Building a List of Pro-Palestine Activists to Deport |url=https://theintercept.com/2025/02/06/betar-palestine-school-activists-target-deport-trump/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}}
Social media personality Ms. Rachel announced that she had been in contact with Wissam Hamada, Hind's grieving mother.{{Cite web |last=The New Arab Staff |date= |title=Ms. Rachel connects with Hind Rajab's grieving mother |work= The New Arab|url=https://www.newarab.com/news/ms-rachel-connects-hind-rajabs-grieving-mother}}
In 2025, it was reported that a film on Hind's killing was being made by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania.{{cite web |title=Killing of Palestinian Girl Hind Rajab Being Made Into Film by Kaouther Ben Hania, Nadim Cheikhrouha, 'Zone of Interest' Producer James Wilson, 'Navalny' Producer Odessa Rae and Film4 (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/global/kaouther-ben-hania-film-killing-of-hind-rajab-1236393414/ |last1=Ritman |first1=Alex |last2=Vivarelli |first2=Nick |date=13 May 2025 |website=Variety |access-date=14 May 2025}}
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.aljazeera.com/program/fault-lines/2024/6/21/the-night-wont-end-bidens-war-on-gaza-2 ‘The Night Won’t End’: Biden’s War on Gaza] on Fault Lines via Al Jazeera English (21 June 2024)
- [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/18/hind-rajab-israeli-state-atrocity Hind Rajab’s death has already been forgotten. That’s exactly what Israel wants], by Owen Jones at The Guardian
{{Gaza war|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajab, Hind}}
Category:Violations of medical neutrality during the Gaza war
Category:Gaza City in the Israel–Hamas war
Category:Israeli war crimes in the Gaza war
Category:Deaths by person in Palestine
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Category:2024 in the Gaza Strip
Category:2024 crimes in Palestine
Category:Attacks on ambulances
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Category:2024 massacres of the Gaza war
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