Sky News analyzed satellite imagery, Israeli military press materials, and interviewed weapons and forensics experts.
Even though the Israeli military denies being in the area on the day that six-year-old Hind Rajab and six members of her family were killed in Gaza, a Sky News investigation has found that the army’s presence in the area was “undeniable.” Two paramedics who were trying to rescue her were also killed.
The channel analyzed satellite imagery, Israeli military press materials, and interviewed weapons and forensics experts.
'I'm so scared, please come.'
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https://t.co/P5UJMDwNWS— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 8, 2024
The incident occurred on January 29, when Hind and her relatives were trying to escape from the Tel al Hawa neighborhood that was under Israeli attacks that day, the Anadolu news agency reported.
The family was divided into two groups, with Hind and six others, namely: her mother’s uncle, Bashar Hamada; his wife, Ana’am; and their four children – Layan, Raghad, Sarah, and Mohammad; getting into a small black car while the rest set off on foot.
Within minutes of leaving, the car was struck by gunfire near a petrol station, just 350 meters from its starting point.
Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, who was on foot, witnessed the attack but was initially unable to comprehend that her daughter’s car was being targeted.
Desperate Cries
After hours of attempting to contact those inside the vehicle, 15-year-old Layan, one of the passengers, was able to answer a phone call. She reported that everyone inside was “sleeping” and that she and Hind had been wounded.
Killing Hind – The Gaza Six-Year-Old Whose Story Has Shocked the World
Layan eventually handed the phone to Hind, whose desperate cries for help were cut short by renewed gunfire.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) tried to dispatch an ambulance but required Israeli military approval to enter what had become a restricted military zone.
Despite receiving the green light after several hours, the rescue operation ended in tragedy. An ambulance sent from Al-Ahli Hospital was shelled as it approached the scene, killing both paramedics inside the vehicle.
Military Vehicles’ Presence
Sky News investigators obtained satellite images and examined Israeli army press materials, concluding that multiple military vehicles were operating in the immediate vicinity at the time of the incident, contradicting the Israeli military’s claims that no forces were present.
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The channel examined satellite imagery taken on January 29, the day of the attack.
“It shows at least 15 military vehicles in the Tel al Hawa neighbourhood – where the family’s car was found. The closest military vehicle is just 300m away. One satellite image was taken at 4.31pm local time – just over an hour before the PRCS said it received approval to send an ambulance,” the report said.
“Satellite imagery taken in the days following the attack show how heavy the military presence remained, with at least 13 military vehicles seen on 7 February. A day later, on 8 February, at least nine military vehicles were seen in the area near the Islamic University in Gaza City,” the report continued.
‘Large-caliber Weapon’
The Israeli army initially denied any involvement before retracting a press release confirming its presence in the Tel al Hawa neighborhood at the time of the attack.
The damage to the ambulance, which was found charred and abandoned days later, suggested that a large-caliber weapon hit it, while the family’s car bore dozens of bullet holes on its right-hand side.
HIND’S HALL 2 VIDEO… All Proceeds from the song are going to @unrwausa
Video edited by Omar Alali pic.twitter.com/1BtWDZBdpX— Macklemore (@macklemore) September 20, 2024
Sky News analysed footage of both the car and the ambulance in order to ascertain the damage to the vehicles. It cited Amael Kotlarski, a weapons team manager at JANES, which provides security and defence analysis, as saying that the damage shows “the ambulance was hit with a ‘large calibre weapon’, with the projectile’s exit hole visible at the back of the vehicle.”
The PRCS has stated that its ambulances do not enter military zones without prior coordination due to repeated incidents of paramedics being targeted by Israeli forces.
The Israeli military, however, claims that the ambulance did not require special coordination, citing the absence of forces in the area at the time.
‘I Need Justice’
Sky News said it “geolocated the IDF footage released on 10 February, which showed three forces – 401st Brigade, Shayetet 13 and 52nd Battalion operating less than 650m from the car that Hind was found in.”
“While it is not clear exactly what date the footage in the release was filmed, the IDF’s presence in the area is undeniable,” the channel stated.
The mere mention of her name rips my heart to pieces.
Hind Rajab remembered by
Scott Ritter former US marines corps intelligence officer. pic.twitter.com/j6rHxy4Xjd— Abier (@abierkhatib) October 1, 2024
Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, is calling for “those who committed this brutal crime” to be “held accountable.”
“I need justice for my daughter,” she told Sky News.
On April 30, Columbia University student protesters took over Hamilton Hall and renamed it Hind’s Hall, dropping a large banner out the windows above the building’s entrance.
American singer and songwriter, Macklemore, has named two songs in her honor; Hind’s Hall and Hind’s Hall 2.
(PC, Anadolu)
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