Hind Rajab: A Symbol Of Palestinian Resistance
Hind Rami Iyad Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian child, was killed by the brutal Israeli forces on January 29, 2024, in a manner that is sufficient to snatch away the title of being a human force from the IDF. The murder of the little Palestinian girl symbolises how the small girl carries passion and courage to live and to survive while surrounded by armed soldiers who are standing with arms just to kill her.
Rajab was killed during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip while her family was fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing six members of her family. After her uncle, aunt, and three cousins were killed, Rajab and another cousin, surviving, contacted the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to ask for help while being attacked by an Israeli tank.
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The cousin was also killed later, and Rajab was left stranded in the car for hours on the phone, as paramedics from PRCS attempted to rescue her. Both Rajab and the paramedics were later found killed on February 10 after an Israeli withdrawal.
However, Israeli forces denied the presence of any tank while the 15-year-old, Layan Hamadeh, cousin of Rajab, cried on the phone saying, “They are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. We’re in the car, the tank is right next to me”.
This is a replica of the car where Hind Rajab was found after the israelis shot her & her family 335 times, just to make sure she wouldn’t survive pic.twitter.com/fjChtg6MlG
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) May 5, 2025
Rajab stayed online for three hours, telling the PRCS team that she was so scared and asking to come to take her.
The Israeli tank fired 335 rounds of bullets at the car that Rajab and her family had been in, with tank operators being able to see that the car had civilians, including children.
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The PRCS worked with Gaza Health Ministry and the Israeli military to guarantee safe passage for their ambulance crew to rescue Rajab but it was given approval after hours of waiting. The ambulance was reportedly targeted by the Israeli military. However, the whereabout of Rajab and paramedics remained unknown till February 10, 2024, when the family returned after the withdrawal of the Israeli military, discovering the car with Rajab, Hamadeh and rest of her uncle’s family.
Hind’s killing became a symbol of Palestinian resistance. American student protestors renamed buildings in honor of Rajab, such as Hind’s Hall at Columbia University, drawing attention to the incident.
