The body of a six-year-old girl, last heard from 12 days ago after an Israeli attack in Gaza, has been found on Saturday.
Hind Rajab and five relatives were found in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. They were in a car hit by Israeli shelling, according to reports.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Youssef Zaino and Ahmed Al-Madhoun, the two paramedics sent to rescue Hind, were also found dead, having lost contact since the attack.
It also said the ambulance, found only meters away from the car, was deliberately targeted by Israeli forces, despite coordination with the Israeli army for safe access.
Images of what remained of the ambulance were shared by the PRCS.
The PRCS has been instrumental in rescuing wounded Palestinians in Gaza amid Israel’s brutal military onslaught, which has killed close to 28,000 Palestinians since October 7, most of them women and children.
The vehicle containing the decomposing bodies was surrounded by Israeli tanks and soldiers.
Little Hind, as the young Palestinian girl has become known, was reportedly travelling in the car with her uncle, his wife, and their three children. Her family had put her in the car after being forced to flee their home when Israeli ground forces moved into their area. Due to bad weather conditions, her mother thought Hind would be better off going in the car with her relatives.
The PRCS had documented the sound of gunfire at the car during a phone call with Hind, who was begging emergency services to rescue her after everybody else in the vehicle was killed.
"Hind remained trapped inside a vehicle and the [Israeli] occupation opened fire on everyone in it, so they were all martyred. Hind remained for hours pleading with our crews to arrive so she could be evacuated from the area surrounded by Israeli tanks," they had written on Facebook.
Her story has intensified outcry over Israel’s repeated violations in Gaza, where entire families have been massacred without any sign of Tel Aviv reducing civilian casualties
Israel’s Western allies, including the US, have slammed the Israeli government over the colossal civilian toll.
The number of dead could be higher, Gaza’s health ministry says, as thousands remain trapped beneath the rubble of buildings torn down by Israeli strikes.
Gaza's children, with up to 25,000 left without at least one parent, have been profoundly affected by Israel's assault, many suffering from severe trauma and PTSD..