The Voice of Hind Rajab’s Kaouther Ben Hania refuses award after Israeli general honoured in Berlin
The movie was awarded the Most Valuable Film at the Cinema for Peace gala.
US lawmakers have introduced new legislation demanding an investigation into the killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza on January 29, 2024 after being trapped for hours in a car with her killed family members.
On Thursday, US Senators Peter Welch and Chris Van Hollen, alongside representatives Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal and Joaquin Castro, introduced the Justice for Hind Rajab Act, a bill that would require the US government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The legislation seeks answers from the administration about the killing and what lawmakers describe as broader patterns of civilian harm in Gaza, as well as reaffirming the United States’ commitment to prosecuting war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.
Hind was killed after staying on the phone with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for more than an hour, pleading for help. The society reported that she was under fire from a tank in Tel al-Hawa.
An ambulance dispatched to rescue her — travelling along a route approved by the Israel Defence Forces — was later destroyed, killing the two paramedics inside.
Hind’s story, including the emergency call recording, later became the basis for the Oscar-nominated docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is nominated in the Best International Feature category at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards.
“I was horrified by reports of the Israeli Defence Forces firing over 300 bullets at her and her family while they were simply trying to escape Gaza,” Rep Jacobs said in a statement announcing the bill. “No child should have to face that kind of terror, and no family should have to carry that kind of loss.”
Independent investigations have also attempted to reconstruct the incident. London-based research group Forensic Architecture analysed satellite imagery and visual evidence and concluded that several Israeli tanks were present near the vehicle and that one fired 335 rounds at the car carrying Hind and her family. The group also suggested that a tank likely attacked the ambulance sent to retrieve her.
Sen Welch said the circumstances of the attack demand further scrutiny. “This was not a ‘fog of war’ situation,” he said. “There wasn’t any reason for the IDF to believe Hind and her family — who were trying to escape the fighting in Gaza — posed a threat.”
Hind’s death has since become emblematic of the mounting civilian toll in Gaza following October 7, 2023.
The proposed legislation calls for congressional findings on the attack and a US State Department report detailing US and Israeli efforts to investigate and hold individuals accountable. It would also require the US government to certify compliance with American laws that prohibit assistance to foreign security units implicated in serious human rights violations.
In addition to this, the bill mandates certification from the secretary of state and the US attorney general confirming that the government is complying with US war-crime laws and is prepared to investigate — and where appropriate prosecute — those responsible for the attack.
Rep Jayapal said the bill is meant to push for accountability.
“Today we honour the life of Hind Rajab,” she said in a statement. “This legislation demands an investigation into her killing so we can finally begin to bring about accountability for the countless war crimes the US has been complicit in inside Gaza.”