Hind Rajab’s killer named and reported to ICC on her 7th birthday

On what would have been Hind Rajab’s seventh birthday, the Hind Rajab Foundation filed a war crimes complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, seeking accountability for the murder of the six-year-old Palestinian girl, her family, and two paramedics in Gaza.

The complaint, filed on Saturday, names Lieutenant Colonel Beni Aharon, then-commander of the Israel army's 401st Armoured Brigade, as responsible for the attack that led to their deaths. The Foundation says that the brigade under his command deliberately fired upon the family's vehicle and later targeted the ambulance dispatched to rescue Hind.

On 29 January 2024, after following Israeli warnings to evacuate, Hind was traveling with her family out of Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood when their car came under Israeli tank fire. Six family members died instantly. Hind, wounded and frightened, remained alive, communicating with Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) dispatchers for hours, pleading, "I’m so scared… please come."

An ambulance sent to rescue her, after coordination with Israeli authorities, was also attacked by the Israeli army. Both medics aboard, Yousef Zeino and Ahmad al-Madhoun, were killed. Twelve days later, rescue workers found Hind’s body alongside her cousin Layan and other relatives.

The ambulance was discovered nearby, destroyed by what investigators identified as a US-made tank shell used by Israeli forces.

The Foundation’s complaint is supported by a year-long investigation drawing on satellite imagery, forensic analysis, and eyewitness accounts. Investigators determined that Israeli tanks fired upon both the civilian vehicle and the ambulance. The tank was within 13 to 23 meters of the family’s car when it opened fire.

"Today, Hind should have been blowing out candles. Instead, we are naming her killer," said Dyab Abou Jahjah, a spokesperson for the Foundation. "This is only the beginning. We are coming for every name, every link in the chain, with the law and with truth."

The Foundation plans to pursue additional legal actions against other officers involved in the operation, invoking universal jurisdiction principles in various national courts.

The Israeli military has stated that it is investigating the incident. However, the Foundation and supporting organisations urge swift action from the ICC to ensure accountability.

Hind Rajab has become a symbol of the thousands of Palestinian children killed during Israel's brutal war on Gaza.

According to UN agencies, more than 17,400 children have been killed, an estimated 25,000 injured, and at least 25,000 hospitalised for malnutrition.

Britain’s deputy UN ambassador, James Kariuki, recently told the Security Council, "Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world to be a child."

Reflecting on Hind’s short life and tragic death, the Foundation emphasised its commitment to justice, stating, "We will not let her name be buried."