Girl, 6, who begged for help in Gaza and medics sent to save her all found dead

A girl in Gaza who pleaded for help after becoming trapped in a car by Israeli fire has been found dead, along with the two paramedics who tried to rescue her.

Hind Rajab, six, spent three hours on the phone to rescue services after the five people she was in the vehicle with – all relatives – were killed by the Israeli army and she was unable to escape.

In audio footage, shared online, the terrified youngster can be heard begging dispatchers to help as the sound of shooting echoes around her.

An ambulance with two paramedics was sent to rescue her but never returned, while the dispatchers eventually lost contact with Hind.

Today, twelve days after the call, relatives of Hind’s found her body along with those of her uncle and aunt and three children, all still in the car, near the Tel al-Hawa suburb of Gaza City, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The bodies of the two paramedics, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon, were also found in a Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance (PRCS).

‘The occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the site to rescue Hind,’ PRCS said in a statement.

The PCRS released a photo of the ambulance, seen almost completely burned out.

Al Jazeera footage of the scene appeared to show the ambulance only steps away from the car they said the family was in, a damaged black Kia Picanto riddled with bullet holes.

The call to dispatchers was first made by Hind’s teenage cousin Layan Hamadeh, who said an Israeli tank was approaching before shots rang out and she screamed.

Believed to be the only survivor, Hind stayed on the line with dispatchers, who tried to calm her as they prepared to send an ambulance.

‘Come and get me,’ Hind is heard crying desperately in one recording. ‘I’m so scared, please come.’

The PCRS said that after coordinating with the Israeli military through mediators and receiving a green light, it determined it was safe enough to send an ambulance with the two crew.

‘In our last communication with the team, they said the occupation forces aimed a laser beam at them. We heard gunshots and then an explosion,’ said PCRS spokesperson in Ramallah, Nebal Farsakh.

Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a Reuters news agency’s request for comment on the Red Crescent statement.

The plight of Hind underlines the impossible conditions for civilians in the face of Israel’s four-month assault on Gaza.

Israeli military has said it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties, but 28,000 Palestinians have died so far, with more than 12,000 of those children, according to Gaza health authorities.

Today airstrikes killed at least 44 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It came hours after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had asked the military to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people there ahead of a ground invasion.

More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are packed into Rafah, with many arriving there after Israel ordered them to evacuate to northern areas.

Israel has faced widespread international criticism over Gaza’s casualty toll, with millions taking to the streets to protest and the UN and several other high profile organisations condemning its approach.

Many politicians around the world, however, have failed to take a strong stance against Israel’s actions and the Israeli military still receives financial backing from the US.

The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.

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