SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — In January 2024, Israeli tanks killed a six-year old Palestinian child named Hind Rajab and some of her relatives—her aunt, uncle and three of her cousins—as they were trying to flee Gaza City. The audio recordings of her emergency calls to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) suggested she was the only surviving individual in the car before her own death happened.
According to the PRCS, it had taken several hours to coordinate access with the Israeli army to send paramedics. However, Israeli forces also killed the two paramedics who were dispatched to the scene—Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun—by bombing the ambulance they had been driving in.
Rajab’s death quickly attracted worldwide attention. On March 12, 2026, U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) introduced the Justice for Hind Rajab Act. It serves as legislation which requires the U.S. government to launch an investigation into those responsible for the deaths of Rajab, then hold them all accountable.
US Representatives on Rajab’s Death
While introducing the Justice for Hind Rajab Act, multiple U.S. representatives and senators involved with it spoke on how Rajab’s death had affected them.
“No child should have to face that kind of terror, and no family should have to carry that kind of loss,” said Rep. Jacobs. “That’s why I’m incredibly proud to partner with Senator Welch to deliver justice and accountability for Hind Rajab’s murder and all the civilian harm in Gaza. Hind’s story is a devastating reminder of the daily reality faced by Palestinians—and we won’t rest until they have safety, security, and peace.”
“This was not a ‘fog of war’ situation,” said Senator Welch. “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. We need answers and accountability for the deaths of Hind, her family, and the paramedics who came to their rescue.”
“Hind Rajab deserves justice, as do the thousands of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces during the war in Gaza,” said Rep. Castro. “It is unacceptable that no Israeli soldiers have been held accountable for her deaths, or for the deaths of so many thousands of other Palestinian children during this war. I stand with my colleagues and demand an investigation into her murder and justice for her death.”
Goals of Hind Rajab Act
If the Justice for Hind Rajab Act reaches fruition, it will present congressional findings on the attack that killed Rajab, along with broader patterns of civilian harm in Gaza. In the process, it also aims to reassert the United States’ commitment to the Geneva Conventions and the prosecution of war crimes.
This legislation will require a report from the State Department on all U.S. and Israeli efforts to investigate and hold accountable any individuals linked to the attacks. It will also necessitate certifications by the Secretary of State and Attorney General regarding compliance with U.S. war crimes laws.
Campaigns Around the Hind Rajab Act
In direct response to this legislation being introduced, the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project (IMEU Policy Project) created a letter campaign to help raise awareness of it. Titled “Justice for Hind Rajab,” this campaign urges the reader to call on their own members of Congress to co-sponsor the Justice for Hind Rajab Act.
The campaign’s ultimate goal is to have 12,000 letters about this legislation sent off to Congress. At the time of writing,it has already acquired more than 7,800 letters.
Human Rights Issues in Gaza
Even outside of atrocities like Hind Rajab’s death, many issues plague Gaza which restrict the basic human rights of its citizens. Over the past two years, its economy has dropped by more than 87%. This has increased poverty and unemployment levels nationwide, with more than 550,000 people unemployed in Gaza and the West Bank as of 2025.
Looming just as large over Gaza is a major food insecurity crisis, which currently affects around 1.6 million people in the Strip (about 77% of its population). Hundreds of thousands of displaced Gaza citizens have to only eat from charity kitchens, which just operate once or twice a week in many parts of the country.
UNRWA’s Impact on Gaza
In recent years, numerous government and NGO initiatives have helped combat these prevalent issues still affecting Gaza today. Chief among them is the The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which the General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) created on December 8th, 1949.
Ever since then, the UNRWA has worked tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid for those in need within Gaza. To date, it helped enroll approximately 543,000 students and helped 1.9 million refugees access the organization’s health services. Its protection mandate also covered 5.9 million refugees and it supported 400,000 refugees through its social safety net.
Final Remarks
At the time of writing, over two years have gone by since Israeli forces killed Hind Rajab and her relatives. Despite how much time has passed since then, the Justice for Hind Rajab Act still feels far more relevant right now than ever.
Rajab was only one of countless Palestinian children caught up in the ongoing Gaza conflict. Her story is deeply symbolic of the unrest they’ve also had to grow up within, whether or not they’re able to survive it themselves. Provided this legislation is successful, it will not only shed significant light on the specific circumstances of her plight, but also that of so many other kids living through the same difficult conditions she did.
– Benjamin Parker
Benjamin is based in South Burlington, VT, USA and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Unsplash