Listen: Encircled by Israeli tanks, injured Hind Rajab (6) recites Holy Quran
Hind and her five family members were traveling in a car through Gaza City’s southwest on January 29, 2024 when they encountered direct and continuous gunfire from the Israeli army at around 05 pm. Read More
Gaza City: In a touching and heart wrenching phone-call recoding released by the Red Crescent Thursday, 6-year-old Hind Rajab - injured and trapped in a car encircled by the Israeli tanks in Gaza City, is heard reciting the verses from the Holy Quran with the help of PRCS Staff in order to gain calm and overcome fear.
Hind and her five family members were traveling in a car through Gaza City’s southwest on January 29, 2024 when they encountered direct and continuous gunfire from the Israeli army at around 05 pm, according to The Guardian.
Gaza City has been devastated by round the clock Israeli bombing since Oct 7 and Hind’s family had reportedly been hoping to seek shelter elsewhere. Hind, her uncle, aunt and cousins attempted to flee approaching Israeli forces and their car came under fire. Hind’s mother and older siblings had reportedly set off on foot.
Encircled by the Israeli tanks, badly injured Hind and her 15-year-old cousin, Layan Hamadeh, somehow contacted the Red Crescent on phone. They told the Red Crescent about the brutal murder of their family members and pleaded them for help.
“They are shooting at us. The tank is next to me", Layan Hamadeh is heard telling to the PRCS in the phone call. The call however was cut off by what sounded like gunfire.
The PRCS released an audio recording of the call and some of Hind’s subsequent three-hour phone conversation with dispatchers in which she pleaded for help, saying:
“Come take me. You will come and take me?”
The dispatcher, Rana al-Faqeh, said Hind told her she was afraid of the dark and asked for someone to come and rescue her. In an attempt to calm her fear, our Rana read the Quran to her and asked her to recite.
Listen Here
For over three hours, six-year-old Hind, still terrified, continuously pleaded with our teams for rescue. In an attempt to calm her fear, our colleague Rana read the Quran to her.
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 15, 2024
RIP Hind and to colleagues Yousef and Ahmad, targeted by the occupation while attempting to rescue… pic.twitter.com/ct9UT3Ttds
The phone call was cut-off. Hind and her family members remained untraceble. They were found dead in the damaged vehicle twelve days later.
On the same day as the discovery of Hind and her family’s bodies, the PRCS also discovered the bodies of two paramedics, Yousef Zaino and Ahmed Al-Madhoun. They had been dispatched to rescue Hind following her distress call, after coordinating with the Israeli forces for the necessary clearance to undertake the mission.
Planned, Deliberate Killing
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor found that Hind and her relatives were killed in a “planned execution carried out by the Israeli army".
According to Euro-Med’s investigation, Hind, her uncle, aunt and three of her cousins were killed by gunfire and shrapnel from tanks shells while fleeing the neighbourhood, which Israel had instructed them to do.
The car was found with numerous gunshot holes, broken glass, with strong evidence of bullets fired directly at it. Upon inspecting the victims’ bodies, it was clear they had suffered from severe gunfire and shrapnel wounds caused by artillery shelling.
Nearby, the ambulance sent for Hind’s rescue was found completely burned, its engine detached and lying on the ground. Israeli forces had targeted the rescue vehicle with a US-made shell, evidenced by remnants of the weapon found at the site.
Most damningly, the incidents occurred in broad daylight, indicating that Israeli forces could clearly see that the car's occupants were civilians, including children.
Euro-Med Monitor concludes that this sustained attack by Israel could only have been deliberate, according to The New Arab.
Gaza Latest Update
Israel’s attacks on Gaza have as on Friday Feb 16, 2024 killed at least 28,775 Palestinians and wounded 68,552 since October 7. Over 7,000 Palestinians are also missing or trapped under debris, and are presumed dead, according to the Palestine Health Ministry.
The Health Ministry also said over 75% of those killed in Israeli airstrikes are women and children.
On Friday, Israel’s incursion into Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital has led to the deaths of at least five patients after electricity was severed and oxygen supplies cut, according to Al Jazeera.
In a related development, Israel is preparing for a ground onslaught into Rafah even as US President Joe Biden is warning against the move. Israeli PM Netanyahu however is not ready to pay heed to Biden's repeated warnings.
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