UTRECHT, The Netherlands 

A vehicle representing five-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, who were killed during an Israeli army attack in the Tel al-Hawa area of Gaza in January 2024, has been exhibited in the Netherlands.

Cemal Arican, a Dutch resident, organized the exhibition with the help of volunteers and held it at Utrecht's Stadhuis Square.

It also remembers the other Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks.

The vehicle, which bears symbolic bullet holes, aims to draw attention to the situation in Gaza and ensure Hind's death is not forgotten.

Visitors showed great interest in the display, leaving flowers on the vehicle.

Arican and volunteers distributed brochures telling Hind’s story and describing the experiences of children living in Gaza.

The exhibition is scheduled to move to different cities each weekend, with the next display planned at Vredenburg Square in Utrecht.

Speaking to Anadolu, Arican said he had felt helpless during demonstrations against Israeli attacks and wanted to act.

“I needed to do something for what is happening in Gaza. The idea came to me to exhibit a representation of the car in which Hind Rajab was killed,” he said.

He explained that he and his cousins had modified a car from a junkyard to resemble the one Hind and her family were in when she was killed.

“Rather than remain helpless, at least this way we can draw attention to Hind and other children who lost their lives and tell people about what is happening in Gaza,” he noted.

He also said that after the Netherlands, the symbolic vehicle will be exhibited in other countries.

Killing of Hind Rajab

Rajab and her family were escaping Gaza when their vehicle was hit by shelling, killing her uncle, aunt, and three cousins.

Rajab and another cousin survived and reached out to the Palestine Red Crescent Society for help, reporting that they were under attack by an Israeli tank.

The cousin was later also killed, and Rajab was left stranded in the vehicle for hours on the phone as paramedics from PRCS attempted to rescue her.

After Israeli forces withdrew from the area, rescue teams discovered on Feb. 10 that both Hind and the paramedics sent to save her had been killed.