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Killing of Hind Rajab

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Hind Rajab (Arabic: هند رجب; 3 May 2018 – 29 January 2024) was a five-year-old[2][a] 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.

Killing of Hind Rajab
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
Rajab graduating from senior kindergarten
Tel al-Hawa is located in the Gaza Strip
Tel al-Hawa
Tel al-Hawa
Location within the Gaza Strip
LocationTel al-Hawa, Gaza Strip
Coordinates31°30′49″N 34°26′13″E / 31.51361°N 34.43694°E / 31.51361; 34.43694
Date29 January 2024 (2024-01-29)
Attack type
Mass homicide, child homicide by gunshot; war crime[1]
Deaths9 civilians
Perpetrators Israeli Ground Forces

Rajab and her family were fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins, except for Rajab and another cousin who contacted 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 weren't any troops present in the neighborhood and denied carrying out the attack. However, this was refuted by 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.[5] The Forensic Architecture investigation also concluded that an Israeli tank had also likely attacked the ambulance that came for Rajab.[5]

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, drawing increased attention to the incident.

Background

By November 2023, one month after the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, much of the Strip was largely deserted and bombed-out.[6] By December 2023, the healthcare system in Gaza was collapsing due to Israeli attacks and a blockade of humanitarian aid.[7] Northern Gaza was particularly affected, as there were no functioning hospitals in the area by December due to lack of supplies, fuel and staff.[8]

Killing

On 29 January 2024, Rajab along with six of her family members were fleeing from the Gaza City neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa,[9][10] when an Israeli army tank shot their vehicle, a black Kia, killing Rajab's aunt, uncle, and four cousins.[11] 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."[12]

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.[13][14] When the dispatchers called back, Rajab answered the call, stating everyone else in the car was dead[10] and that the tank continued to approach the car.[15] 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?"[16][10] Her grandfather later told reporters that Rajab was injured in the back, hand and foot.[17] Rajab, who was instructed to continue hiding in the vehicle, was set to be rescued by a PRCS ambulance.[18] The audio of the phone call between the PRCS, Hamadeh and Rajab was published by the Red Crescent on 3 February.[17]

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 green light to send the ambulance along a designated route.[19] The ambulance reported that they were being targeted by the Israeli military with laser lights; 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.[20] After sounds of gunfire or an explosion, the connection was lost.[16][21] The fate of Rajab and the paramedics was unknown[22] 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.[23] The windows were blown out, and the doors were covered with bullet holes.[24] The Red Crescent ambulance was found a few feet away, completely destroyed[25] with two ambulance workers,[26] Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, also killed.[27]

Investigation

 
The destroyed car that belonged to Rajab's uncle

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.[28] A spokesperson for the U.S. government said that it would wait for Israel to conclude its investigation of the incident.[29]

An IDF spokesperson claimed, after a preliminary investigation, that 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.[30] 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."[31] 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.[32][33]

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.[34] 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.[35]

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 indeed 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".[20] 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.[20]

In July 2024, independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council stated Rajab's killing might amount to a war crime.[36]

In October 2024, Sky News reported 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.[19]

Forensic Architecture

In June 2024, Forensic Architecture publicized its investigation, 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 for Rajab.[5]

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.[37] 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.[16] 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".[12]

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.[38] 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?".[27] The Red Crescent laid the blame of the incident at Israel, accusing it of deliberately targeting the ambulance crew.[39] The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the International Criminal Court to hold those responsible for Rajab's death accountable.[40] 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.[41]

In April 2024, 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. The students unfurled a large banner renaming the building "Hind's Hall" in honor of the child.[42] 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.[43]

On May 16, UC Berkeley student protesters occupied an abandoned historic building on campus known as the Anna Head complex and renamed it "Hind's House."[44][45]

In May 2024, American rap artist Macklemore released "Hind's Hall", a protest song honoring Rajab and supporting student protests. 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.[46] 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.[47]

In an August 2024 editorial, Owen Jones stated that Rajab's killing fit into a pattern of other Israeli atrocities. Jones wrote, "After each atrocity it perpetrates, the Israeli state has a standard modus operandi: deny, deflect, deceive, and wait for attention to move elsewhere."[48]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Most media sources reported Rajab's age at death as six years old. Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor[3] and CNN[4] reported that Rajab was five years old.

References

  1. ^ Clayton, Freddie (22 July 2024). "Killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza may constitute a war crime, experts say". NBC News. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Gaza's Health Ministry reveals names of several thousand dead, over 11,355 of them are minors".
  3. ^ "Gaza: Initial findings show Israeli army purposefully kills a child, uses an American-made missile to target her rescue crew". Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor. February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  4. ^ Regan, Helen; Khadder, Kareem; Salman, Abeer; Zaanoun, Khadder; Alkhaldi, Celine; Karadsheh, Jomana (10 February 2024). "Where is Hind? Calls for answers more than a week after rescuers go missing trying to save trapped 5-year-old". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct Hind's age.
  5. ^ a b c "The Killing of Hind Rajab". Forensic Architecture. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  6. ^ "The battle of northern Gaza is almost over". The Economist. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. ^ "'Bloodbath': Israel continues to target Gaza hospitals and civilians". Al Jazeera. 18 December 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  8. ^ Tétrault-Farber, Gabrielle. "Northern Gaza no longer has a functional hospital, WHO says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  9. ^ Salman, Abeer; Za'anoun, Khader Al (10 February 2024). "Five-year-old Palestinian girl found dead after being trapped in car under Israeli fire". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Da Silva, Chantal (11 February 2024). "'They killed her twice': Hind Rajab's mother mourns girl, 6, found killed days after being trapped under Israeli fire". NBC News. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  11. ^ Brown, Cate; Harb, Hajar (2 February 2024). "A 6-year-old in Gaza City was calling to be rescued. Did anyone find her?". The Washington Post. ISSN 2641-9599. Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  12. ^ a b Regan, Helen (6 February 2024). "Where is Hind? Calls for answers more than a week after rescuers go missing trying to save trapped 6-year-old". CNN. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  13. ^ Boboltz, Sara (10 February 2024). "Hind Rajab, Gaza 6-Year-Old Who Spoke Of Fear On Phone To Rescuers, Found Dead". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024. 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.
  14. ^ Kanj, Jamal (22 February 2024). "Rafah between Netanyahu's metaphysical power and the West's disconnect with reality". Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. 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.
  15. ^ Sinmaz, Emine (11 February 2024). "Cousin of Hind Rajab, 6, haunted by her last call after family car shot at in Gaza". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Sinmaz, Emine (10 February 2024). "'I'm so scared, please come': Hind Rajab, six, found dead in Gaza 12 days after cry for help". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Six-year-old Gaza girl found dead days after pleading for help". France 24. 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  18. ^ Salam, Yasmine (4 February 2024). "6-year-old girl in Gaza goes missing after she is caught in fighting". NBC News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  19. ^ a b "'I'm so scared, please come': Heartbreaking final moments of girl, 5, killed in Gaza". Sky News. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "Palestinian paramedics said Israel gave them safe passage to save a 6-year-old girl in Gaza. They were all killed". The Washington Post. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Body of 6-year-old killed in 'deliberate' Israeli fire found after 12 days". Al Jazeera. 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Israeli forces 'deliberately targeted' medics sent to rescue little girl". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  23. ^ Zaanoun, Adel. "Six-year-old Gaza Girl Found Dead Days After Pleading For Help". Barron's. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  24. ^ Graziosi, Graig (11 February 2024). "A child and the medics trying to save her were killed by Israeli tanks". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  25. ^ Abdulrahim, Raja (10 February 2024). "Missing 6-Year-Old and Rescue Team Found Dead in Gaza, Aid Group Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Bodies of Gaza girl, ambulance team trapped under Israeli fire found after 12 days". ABC News. 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  27. ^ a b Williamson, Lucy (10 February 2024). "Hind Rajab, 6, found dead in Gaza days after phone calls for help". BBC News. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  28. ^ "Gaza: Initial findings show Israeli army purposefully kills a child, uses an American-made missile to target her rescue crew". Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. 12 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  29. ^ "US official pressed about killings of Hind Rajab and Samer Abudaqa". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  30. ^ Fabian, Emanuel; Fabian, Emanuel (24 February 2024). "IDF says probe indicates no troops were in area where 6-year-old Gazan girl was killed". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  31. ^ "Israel says its troops were not present where Palestinian girl Hind was killed". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  32. ^ "Hind Rajab: Were Israeli troops around where the six-year-old was killed?". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Hind Rajab: Were Israeli troops around where the six-year-old was killed?". Al Jazeera. 26 February 2024. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  34. ^ Magid, Jacob (13 February 2024). "US calls for 'urgent' probe into alleged IDF killing of 6-year-old Gazan girl". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  35. ^ Thakker, Prem (25 June 2024). "Red Crescent Says Israel Never Reached Out About Hind Rajab's Death, Despite State Department Claim That Israel Said Otherwise". The Intercept. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  36. ^ Clayton, Freddie (22 July 2024). "Killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza may constitute a war crime, experts say". NBC News. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Israel-Gaza war: Unknown fate of six-year-old Hind Rajab trapped under fire". BBC. 5 February 2024. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  38. ^ "Western media outlets rebuked over coverage of Hind story". Al Bawaba. 12 February 2024. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  39. ^ "Body of Gaza girl found days after recordings emerged of her pleas for help under fire". The Times of Israel. 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  40. ^ "Palestinian Foreign Ministry slams killing of Hind Rajab". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  41. ^ "Justice For All Takes Action: Highlighting Israel's Role in Hind Rajab's Death Through Submission to the International Criminal Court". justiceforall.org. 13 February 2024. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  42. ^ Watkins, Ali (30 April 2024). "Columbia Protesters Rename Hamilton Hall to 'Hind's Hall'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024 – via NYTimes.com.
  43. ^ Mahdawi, Arwa (4 May 2024). "The adultification of children has consequences from Palestine to the US". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  44. ^ Dinkelspiel, Frances (16 May 2024). "Preservationists worry about fate of occupied Cal building". The Berkeley Scanner. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  45. ^ Regimbal, Alec. "12 people arrested in occupation of abandoned UC Berkeley hall". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  46. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (7 May 2024). "Macklemore releases pro-Palestine track Hind's Hall". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  47. ^ Kaufman, Gil (23 September 2024). "Macklemore Drops 'Hind's Hall 2' Protest Track, Leads 'F–k America' Chant at Seattle Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  48. ^ Jones, Owen (18 August 2024). "Hind Rajab's death has already been forgotten. That's exactly what Israel wants". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
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