Why Hind Rajab is a Martyred Child Who Embodies the Palestinian Struggle

In January this year when six-year-old Hind Rajab and her family were trying to flee Gaza, little did they know they would become a tank targets.

Their escape path, a sanctioned IDF-designated route, played its part in a demented game the IDF would engage and revel in as part of their blood thirsty lust and hatred for Palestinians.

The genocide of the Palestinians post-October 7 is testament to that.

Life’s a tough gig for a six-year-old Palestinian girl having to witness the slaughter of her family, let alone the tens of thousands of other Palestinians around her in Gaza.

Hind was assassinated as she desperately called for help after witnessing the murder of her family. But Hind did call, and for the world to witness her execution via social media, Hind’s desperate, torturous cries for help can still be heard, traumatised by the events that took place before her.

However, the assassinations didn’t stop there by the IDF; with the elimination of Hind’s family, the horror continued. Desperate and horrifically injured, two Red Crescent paramedics tried to come to her aid, only meters from reaching Hind, they too were assassinated before they could get to her, and then Hind herself was executed.

The assassination of Hind isn’t just another tragic statistic in the sorrowful fallout of the Israel-Palestine war; it's more than that. Hind’s senseless murder is symbolic of a disturbing evolution in Israeli policy and society—a descent into barbarism underpinned by a leadership increasingly characterized by psychopathy and disregard for humanity.

But the reality is, Hind’s death makes her a true martyr, a symbol of the lawless depravity of the IDF.

The image of Hind's lifeless and shattered body forces the world to confront an uncomfortable question: How can a nation that claims to be a bastion of democracy and civilization justify such relentless and indiscriminate brutality against children?

The truth is, Israel isn’t. Post-October 7, the world has had its eyes opened to what is a murderous barbaric nation Israel really is or has become.

Had there been no social and independent media, the world would still be blind and naive to the lawless of Israel, and believing the lies the Israelis have become well known for concocting.

The world owes a great debt to social and independent media for being the eyes and the ears of truth for the world.

As it always has been with Israel, its official narrative has been of precision strikes aimed at eliminating militants, but that now collapses under the sheer scale and pattern of civilian casualties which have been predominantly children.

Each Palestinian death is a blot on the assertion of precision and debunks the morality of the IDF's rules of engagement. The ongoing slaughter of innocent Palestinians reveals a chilling contempt for human life - indicative of a psyche that prioritizes tactical gains over morality. Israel’s lust for blood and killing and its psychopathy isn’t just limited to the battlefield.

It’s permeated its way through to Israel’s leadership, where dehumanizing its rhetoric towards Palestinians is normalized.

Branding Palestinians as sub-human makes it easy to pull the trigger and assassinate Hind, and the thousands of other Palestinians.

The conversation within Israel is not about peace or coexistence but about victory at any cost and that’s exemplified within the school system where children are taught to be soldiers rather than peacemakers - instilling a warrior mentality that sees every Palestinian as a potential threat.

The relentless militarisation of Israeli children corrodes society’s conscience - nurturing a generation that views the ongoing subjugation and decimation of Palestinians as necessary evils.

And sitting disturbingly silent amongst all that has been going on has been the international community, which has been interpreted by Israeli leaders as tacit approval - emboldening them to continue their oppressive policies without fear of repercussion.

The world’s silence has not only emboldened the IDF but entrenches the belief within Israelis that their actions are justified in the name of Israel’s security.

The vision of Israel as a light among nations is irreconcilable with the dark realities of its lust for blood and genocide. The brutal killing of Hind and countless other innocents is a manifestation of a deeper malaise—a loss of moral direction, a surrender to the basest instincts of survival and supremacy.

Israel’s moral bankruptcy challenges the foundations of civilised society - built on empathy, justice, and respect for human rights.

When a state abandons these principles, it abandons its claim to civility.

Hind’s assassination, the assassination of her family, the two Red Crescent paramedics, and the 30,000 plus other innocent Palestinian deaths are not enough for the world to mourn; it must act.

It’s long overdue where countries must now reassess their diplomatic and economic relations with Israel, applying pressure to stop its barbarity and genocide and to initiate serious peace negotiations.

Sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and international legal action are necessary to confront an Israel that has lost the right to call itself a civilised society because it’s far from it.

Hind’s death should serve as a reminder to all who care about humanity: that to remain silent in the face of such barbarism is to be complicit in it. Only then can there be any hope for justice for Hind, and for the countless other victims of a conflict that has been defined by its inhumanity.

The targeting of children, the expansion of settlements, the demolition of Palestinian homes, and the suffocating blockade of Gaza— illustrate a pattern of behaviour that aligns more with colonial imperialist tactics than those of a modern democracy. Israel’s narrative that it's a small state surviving against the odds is hollow when contrasted against its aggressive conduct and the sophisticated oppression of the Palestinian people.

Israel’s descent into brutality reflects a failure of its leadership and a moral failure of the international community. The world’s silence and tepid responses fail to hold Israel accountable, has enabled it to enact its crimes against humanity.

How six-year-old Hind was assassinated by a nation lawless in its behaviour was horrendous - it's an image that can never be erased from the memories of anybody who saw it, and nor should it be.

Hind’s and her family weren’t casualties of war, they were victims of a barbarous nation engaged in a state-sanctioned killing spree. How Hind was assassinated should never be forgotten.