In Gaza, a tragic incident unfolded involving Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old child who found herself trapped in a mangled car with her deceased relatives.
Hind’s family and the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that nearly two weeks after her desperate plea for rescue, her lifeless body was discovered alongside her relatives in the Tel al-Hawa section of Gaza City.
This grim discovery came after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, leaving behind the wreckage of an ambulance that had been dispatched to save Hind.
The harrowing ordeal began when Hind, along with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, attempted to flee the city but found themselves caught in gunfire. Layan Hamadeh, Hind’s 15-year-old cousin, initially reached out to the Red Crescent for help before communication abruptly ceased.
🚨95 hours have passed and the fate of our colleagues Yousef Zeino and Ahmed al Madhoun from the PRCS ambulance team, who went to rescue the 6-year-old girl, Hind, remains unknown.
Where is Hind? Where are Yousef and Ahmed? Are they still alive? We want to know their fate.… pic.twitter.com/ugSG3c90gN— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 2, 2024
Desperate pleas for assistance from the trapped children, shared on social media by the Red Crescent, shocked listeners worldwide as they described their terrifying predicament amid the sounds of gunfire.
Despite Hind’s continuous cries for help during her three-hour phone call with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, the agency was only able to dispatch an ambulance four hours after receiving the distress call.
Tragically, contact with the ambulance was lost, leaving Hind’s fate uncertain until her body was discovered days later. According to reports, the ambulance crew had briefly glimpsed Hind before gunfire interrupted the call, confirming her tragic demise.
In this video, horrifying scenes show the deliberate targeting by the Israeli occupation of the PRCS ambulance, resulting in the killing of our colleagues Yusuf Al-Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoun, who were just meters away from the child Hind. Hind tragically lost her life alone after… pic.twitter.com/PJiI6vtBei
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 10, 2024
Hind’s grandfather, Baha Hamada, confirmed her death, along with other family members who were finally able to reach the area after Israeli forces withdrew.
Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, expressed anguish and blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden for failing to save her daughter, vowing to seek justice before God on Judgment Day.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society condemned the incident, alleging deliberate targeting by Israeli forces, which resulted in the deaths of their colleagues who were in close proximity to Hind.
The ongoing military campaign in Gaza has resulted in a staggering death toll, with thousands of casualties, including numerous children. The densely populated strip remains under siege, leaving civilians trapped and facing uncertain futures amidst escalating violence and geopolitical tensions.