6-year-old Gazan child found dead after days of uncertainty

ANKARA

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said six-year-old girl Hind Rajab, who was trapped in her family car after it came under Israeli army in Gaza City, was found dead after nearly two weeks of uncertainty.

The non-profit in a statement late Friday said the bodies of the child, and two of its paramedics, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon, who went out on a mission to rescue the little girl on Jan. 29 had been found.

Hind was traveling in a car with her family including 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamadeh, fleeing fighting in northern Gaza, when they came under Israeli fire, according to the Red Crescent.

Surrounded by the bodies of relatives, they had called for help and a PRCS ambulance was dispatched.

According to the humanitarian group, Layan was killed while speaking to the PRCS team by telephone, as gunfire could be heard in the background.

When the Red Crescent team called back, it was Hind who answered, possibly the only survivor in the car. Soon after the Red Crescent lost all contact with its team and the child.

The Israeli army has yet to comment on the matter.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 that has killed nearly 28,000 Palestinians following a surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while much of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi