“I’m so scared, please come. Come take me. Please, will you come?” – Hind Rajab’s plea to emergency dispatchers
In the chaos and destruction that has engulfed Gaza, countless innocent lives have been lost, their stories often reduced to mere statistics. Yet some voices break through the deafening silence of indifference—voices that remind us of our shared humanity and the unspeakable cost of war. Six-year-old Hind Rajab’s voice was one such cry that reached the world, only to be tragically silenced on 29th January 2024.
A Family’s Desperate Escape
On that fateful winter day, Hind, a bright-eyed child who dreamt of becoming a doctor, was fleeing with her family from the Gaza City neighbourhood of Tel al-Hawa. Following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, they piled into a black Kia car. Hind, her uncle Bashar, her aunt, and four cousins, including 15-year-old Layan Hamadeh, sought safety together. Their journey would span less than a quarter of a mile before coming to a devastating halt.
Around 1 p.m., Layan made a panicked call to a relative, saying they were surrounded and under fire. “They are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. We’re in the car, the tank is right next to us,” she screamed before the line went dead amidst a barrage of gunfire.
When emergency services called back, it was Hind who answered, her young voice trembling with fear. Everyone else in the car was now dead, and she was alone, trapped in the back seat, surrounded by the bodies of her loved ones. For three and a half agonising hours, this six-year-old child remained on the phone with Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) dispatchers, begging for rescue while Israeli tanks rumbled closer.
A Rescue Mission That Never Returned
The PRCS, stationed about 50 miles away in Ramallah, immediately mobilised to save the terrified child. After coordinating with relevant authorities, paramedics Yousef Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun set out on their rescue mission around 6 p.m.
“I’m nearly there,” Zeino told his colleagues as the ambulance edged closer to Hind. Then, the line went silent.
For twelve long days, the fate of Hind and the paramedics remained unknown as the area remained under heavy bombardment. It was only on 10th February, after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, that Hind’s family was able to return to the scene.
What they discovered shattered any remaining hope. There, in the bullet-riddled car with its windows blown out, lay Hind’s small body alongside her relatives. Nearby, about 50 metres away, stood the burnt-out ambulance, with the bodies of the two paramedics who had tried to save her.
Investigations Reveal the Truth
While the Israeli military initially claimed its forces “were not present near the vehicle or within the firing range” at the time of the incident, subsequent investigations have painted a vastly different picture.
In June 2024, Forensic Architecture, a UK-based research group, working with Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines and Earshot (an audio forensics NGO), released a comprehensive investigation into Hind’s killing. Their findings were damning: the car had been hit with 335 bullets, with evidence suggesting the gunfire came from an Israeli tank positioned just 13 to 23 metres away. At such close range, the shooters would have clearly seen that the vehicle contained civilians, including children.
The investigation also concluded that an Israeli tank shell directly hit the ambulance dispatched to help Hind, killing the two paramedics. Satellite imagery from the day of the incident showed at least three Israeli tanks approximately 270 metres from the family’s car, with their guns pointed towards it.
The Washington Post conducted its own investigation, using satellite imagery, dispatcher recordings, and interviews with experts, which similarly concluded that Israeli armoured vehicles were in the vicinity of the car when Hind was killed.
In July 2024, independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council stated that the killing of Hind Rajab, her family members, and the paramedics “may amount to a war crime.” They denounced the Israeli claims of not being in the area as “unacceptable” given the evidence of Israeli munitions found on the vehicle.
A Mother’s Grief
“This is the most difficult feeling, to lose your daughter,” Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamadah, told NBC News after her child’s body was found. “This occupation did not have mercy on her.”
In the aftermath of this tragedy, Wissam was left clinging to all she had left of her daughter—a notebook, a pencil, and a paper crown. “How many more mothers are you waiting to feel this pain?” she asked. “How many more children do you want to get killed?”
The World Remembers
Hind’s story has resonated globally, becoming a symbol of the thousands of Palestinian children killed in Gaza. Her face has appeared on murals worldwide, including one in Dublin, Ireland. In April 2024, pro-Palestinian student protesters at Columbia University in New York renamed an occupied building “Hind’s Hall” in her honour.
On 3rd May 2025, what would have been Hind’s seventh birthday, the Hind Rajab Foundation announced it had identified Lieutenant Colonel Beni Aharon of the 401st Armoured Brigade as the commander of the battalion allegedly responsible for Hind’s death and filed a war crimes complaint with the International Criminal Court.
“Today, Hind should have been blowing out candles. Instead, we are naming her killer,” said foundation spokesperson Dyab Abou Jahjah. “This is only the beginning. We are coming for every name, every link in the chain, with the law and with truth.”
The Forgotten Children of Gaza
Hind Rajab is one of at least 14,500 Palestinian children killed in Gaza since October 2023. Behind each number is a name, a face, a story, and a future that will never be realised.
As Muslims, we are reminded in the Holy Quran: “Whoever kills a soul, it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one, it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” (5:32)
The killing of Hind Rajab, a child who spent her final hours in absolute terror, surrounded by the bodies of her loved ones, pleading for help that came too late, stands as a devastating testament to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. It reveals the profound failure of our global systems to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Hind’s voice may have been silenced, but her story continues to echo, demanding justice and accountability. Behind every statistic of this war lies a real human being, a child with dreams, hopes, and a future that deserved protection.
Supporting the Pursuit of Justice
The Hind Rajab Foundation works tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes against Palestinian children. Their legal work, documentation efforts, and advocacy aim to ensure that Hind’s death and the deaths of thousands of other innocent children do not fade from memory without justice being served.
You can support their vital work by visiting their website, following their social media channels, and contributing to their legal fund that makes it possible to pursue cases at the International Criminal Court and other justice mechanisms.
Amplifying Silenced Voices
At Forgotten Ummah, we remain committed to bringing you powerful, relevant stories that mainstream media often overlooks. Our independent journalism shines light on the experiences of Muslims facing oppression worldwide, ensuring their stories reach the global community.
Your support enables us to continue this essential work. By following, sharing our content, and contributing just £2 a month, you help amplify the voices of those who have been silenced and forgotten.
As Muslims, we are reminded that seeking justice is a collective responsibility. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us that the strongest form of struggle is to speak truth to power.
Together, we can ensure that Hind’s story and the stories of countless others are told, remembered, and acted upon. Let us honour her memory by standing firmly for truth and justice.
May Allah grant Hind and all innocent victims of this conflict the highest ranks of Paradise, and may He bring comfort to their families and justice to their causes.
Ameen.
Read more about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Learn more about Hind Rajab’s story from Hind Rajab Foundation.
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