On 29 January 2024, a six-year-old Palestinian child in Gaza City, Hind Rajab, pleaded over the phone for emergency workers to rescue her from a car riddled with bullets. Her body was found two weeks later, on 10 February, alongside the bodies of six of her family members in the car they drove to flee their neighbourhood as Israeli forces invaded. The bodies of two Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) paramedics, missing since the evening of the call when they were dispatched to rescue Hind Rajab, were discovered in their ambulance about 50 metres away.

Forensic Architecture & Earshot NGO Investigation

Working closely with journalists from Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines, Forensic Architecture collaborated with Earshot to examine the circumstances surrounding the killing of Hind Rajab, her four cousins, her aunt and uncle, and the two paramedics who came to her rescue.

The joint investigation w/ @earshot_ngo and @AJFaultLines into the killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, her 4 cousins, her aunt and uncle, and 2 paramedics on 29 Jan 2024 challenges the Israeli Army’s claim that troops weren't in the area that day.

Hind and 6 family members, fleeing invading Israeli forces, left in the early hours of 29 Jan from a home in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City, driving north. Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, witnessed shots being fired at the car from an intersection to the north of the home. Many Israeli military vehicles—in a shape and size consistent with Israeli Merkava tanks—are visible in satellite images of the intersection from that day.

We mapped 335 entry holes on the body of the car, most located on the right side, suggesting the position of the shooters. Around 2:30pm, Hind’s 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamada was killed while on a call with PRCS dispatchers. @earshot_ngo analysed the recording of this call and determined that Layan was likely shot by Israeli forces at close range (13–23 metres).

At 5:40pm, two paramedics, Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, proceeded in an ambulance to Hind, the sole survivor in the car. The ambulance was shot at upon arrival. Using satellite imagery and video documentation, we estimated the location of the ambulance when it was hit.

Evidence gathered by @AJFaultLines reveals an exit hole in the ambulance’s left rear door. We reconstructed the cone of impact to determine the direction from which the ambulance was shot. This direction is consistent w/ the location of Israeli tanks visible in satellite imagery.

Hind’s body was found in the car alongside the bodies of her family members two weeks later, on 10 February. The paramedics’ bodies, missing since the evening they were dispatched, were discovered in the ambulance ~50 metres away from the car.

Weapon used :

The investigation found that Israeli forces used multiple weapons in the attack on Hind Rajab and those with her.

M4 Assault Rifle or FN MAG Machine Gun (Mounted on Merkava Tank)

• Used to fire 64 gunshots in six seconds at close range.
• Layan Hamada, Hind's cousin, was killed by rounds fired from a Merkava tank-mounted FN MAG machine gun (7.62mm rounds).
• The rapid-fire rate (750–900 rounds per minute) ruled out AK-type rifles and confirmed the use of Israeli military weaponry.

120mm M830A1 HEAT-MP-T Round (Tank Shell)

• Used to destroy the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance attempting to rescue Hind.
• A sabot (component of the tank shell) was found near the ambulance.
• The large exit hole (23x26cm) and burn marks matched the impact pattern of a Merkava tank-fired 120mm High Explosive Anti-Tank Multi-Purpose Tracer (HEAT-MP-T) round.

335 Bullets Fired at the Kia Picanto (Family's Car)

• The car was riddled with 335 bullet holes, mostly on the right side.
• Analysis suggests that Israeli forces used automatic weapons, likely a combination of M4 rifles and FN MAG machine guns from tanks or infantry positions.

Israeli Military Bulldozer (Caterpillar D9)

• The Kia Picanto was crushed, likely by an Israeli military bulldozer.
• The windshield depression and tire deformation indicate it was pushed and run over.

The evidence suggests a systematic attack using Israeli military weapons, including machine guns, tank shells, and armored bulldozers, against civilians and emergency responders.

Key Geolocated Points:

Attack on the Kia Picanto (Family’s Car)

Location: Near a gas station in Gaza City, west of Tel al-Hawa neighborhood. Coordinates (Estimated): ~31.499°N, 34.445°E (31.499146838250354, 34.44498795357003) (Based on satellite imagery and mapping). Positioning Evidence: Satellite imagery from Planet Labs (Jan 29, 2024, 3:31 PM UTC) shows the car's original location before being moved. Bullet impact mapping indicates shooters positioned on the right side, likely from a Merkava tank within 13–23 meters.

Position of the Israeli Merkava Tanks

Location: Intersection north of the Kia Picanto’s position, covering escape routes. Coordinates (Estimated): ~31.500°N, 34.444°E. Positioning Evidence: Satellite images from Forensic Architecture (Jan 29, 2024, 3:31 PM UTC) show multiple Israeli military vehicles, likely Merkava tanks, positioned at the main intersection. Audio analysis of gunfire places the tank within 13–23 meters of the car.

Location of the Ambulance Attack (Palestine Red Crescent)

Location: 50 meters away from the Kia Picanto, near a burn mark identified in satellite imagery. Coordinates (Estimated): ~31.4995°N, 34.4455°E. Positioning Evidence: Satellite images from Feb 8, 2024, show wreckage and burn marks consistent with a 120mm HEAT-MP-T tank shell impact. Photographic evidence and Al Jazeera footage (Feb 10, 2024) confirm the ambulance's final location.

Tribute, memory and symbole of the struggle against impunity

Hind’s story became a symbol of Palestinian suffering and resistance, drawing global attention to Israeli war crimes.

1. The Hind Rajab Foundation was established to seek justice, while solidarity actions, including the renaming of university halls and a song by Macklemore, kept her memory alive. A year later, Gaza remains devastated, with tens of thousands killed, many buried under rubble, and severe humanitarian crises due to blocked aid. Despite international outrage, no meaningful action has been taken against Israel’s continued targeting of civilians, children, and healthcare workers. The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) was established to seek justice and challenge Israeli impunity. It has filed legal cases worldwide, including at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and national courts in Brazil, Spain, Austria, Germany, and Thailand, ensuring that Israeli soldiers responsible for war crimes cannot travel freely without facing legal consequences. HRF continues its mission through legal action and global awareness, urging international pressure to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent further atrocities. The world’s response to Hind’s case will determine whether Israeli war crimes go unpunished or if justice can finally be achieved.

2. The Voice of Hind Rajab is a 2025 docudrama directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, based on the real‑life tragedy of six‑year‑old Hind Rajab, who made harrowing emergency calls while trapped in a car under fire in Gaza. The film blends actual audio recordings of her call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society with dramatized scenes of emergency dispatchers and responders. The film premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize and received an extraordinary 23‑minute standing ovation, one of the longest in the festival’s history. It has also been selected as Tunisia’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars and garnered nominations at the Golden Globe Awards.

Name of the martyrs:

These victims were inside the civilian vehicle that was fired upon:

1. Hind Rami Iyad Rajab — age 5 – 6 (the child at the center of the widely reported case).
2. Layan Hamadeh – age 15, cousin (initially survived and called for help but later also died)
3. Raghad Bashar Hamadeh – age 13, cousin
4. Mohammad Bashar Hamada – age 11, cousin
5. Sarah Bashar Hamada – age 9, cousin
6. Bashar Hamada – adult male, uncle
7. Bashar Hamada’s wife – adult female, aunt

These were the two paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who were killed while attempting to rescue Hind:

8. Yousef al‑Zeino — PRCS paramedic.
9. Ahmed al‑Madhoun — PRCS paramedic.

Further investigation and identification of some perpetrators

An Al Jazeera documentary documentary attributes operational responsibility for the killings to Israel’s 401st Armored Brigade, commanded by Colonel Beni Aharon. Aharon is already the subject of a criminal complaint filed at the International Criminal Court by HRF. Within that brigade, the “Vampire Empire” company—part of the 52nd Armored Battalion, led by Colonel Daniel Ella—is alleged to have carried out the attack and tampered with the crime scene. The company’s commander, Major Sean Glass, and one of its soldiers, Itay Choukirkov, a dual Israeli-Argentinian national, have both been named in separate legal actions. The 52nd Battalion, also known as Ha-Bok’im (“The Breachers”), was among the first Israeli units to enter Gaza in October 2023 and has since been involved in several of the army’s most destructive operations, including the storming of hospitals.

On October 22, 2025, in a long statement on X, the Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi respectfully disagrees with the HRF’s claim that Sean Glass or his company, “Vampire Empire,” were responsible for the killing of Hind Rajab. He notes that there is no credible evidence linking them to the incident. In January 2025, HRF approached him for assistance with the case, but he declined due to personal reasons. He warned HRF that their initial attribution to the 9th Battalion was incorrect and emphasized that legal filings must be based on verifiable facts, not inference or narrative preference. He also referred them to a public IDF statement showing that the 52nd Battalion, not the 9th, was operating near Hind Rajab’s location. Despite his advice to delay the filing to strengthen the legal strategy, HRF proceeded publicly, presenting the information as the result of a year of research.

Tirawi critiques the Al‑Jazeera documentary for not independently verifying claims and for including factual inaccuracies, such as the alleged involvement of dual nationals or private military transport. He stresses that while the 52nd Battalion’s presence is established, there is no evidence linking Company V specifically to the crime. Multiple companies and units, including APCs from other brigades, were in the area, and the fatal injuries were caused by machine-gun fire rather than a tank shell. Inferring responsibility solely from the presence of a battalion is speculative and insufficient for legal accountability.

Ultimately, Tirawi emphasizes that accountability efforts require precision and evidence that can withstand scrutiny in court. Speculative or emotionally compelling narratives risk misattribution and could undermine the credibility of broader justice efforts. He supports full public, legal, and ethical accountability for Hind Rajab’s killing, her family, and the paramedics, but insists that conclusions must be based on verifiable evidence, not inference or narrative convenience.