Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian child killed by Israeli fire while stranded in a car with her dead family members, has been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
The nomination was submitted by Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at Arizona State University, in collaboration with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
Her nomination is to honour "every Palestinian child whose life has been stolen by war and genocide" and serves as a statement “to recognise the relentless horror children in Gaza have endured” in almost two years of conflict, Mr Beydoun wrote on Instagram.
More than 1,300 children have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war began. UN officials have repeatedly warned that the enclave has become a “graveyard for children”.
One of them was Hind. She had been with her mother’s uncle and his wife, as well as four other children, in a car in Gaza city when an Israeli tank fired at them. All were killed instantly, except for Hind and her cousin, 15-year-old Layan Hamadeh.
Layan was the first to alert the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) that the car had been surrounded by Israeli forces. “They’re shooting at us,” she said in a phone call, before her screams went quiet and the line dropped. When the PRCS called back, Hind answered. She was sitting in a car with six bodies.
Her body was found riddled with bullets after a phone call of her pleading for help was shared widely on social media.
The nomination comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented US President Donald Trump with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, amid Gaza ceasefire talks.
Hind’s nomination was “planned long before Trump's,” Mr Beydoun wrote. “We can't think of a stronger statement and response.”
Mr Netanyahu's status as head of state and Mr Beydoun's position as university professor mean they are both eligible to submit a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Hind’s story must never be forgotten. Her voice must never be silenced
Khaled Beydoun,
law professor at Arizona State University
Hind's mother had been able to join a three-way call with her daughter and the operatives – the last time she would hear her voice. Hind told her mother she was injured in her arm, back and leg, and was bleeding from her mouth, before contact was lost for 12 days.
"It was the most brutal phone call of my life. Hearing my daughter injured, crying and screaming and not being able to do anything to help her," Hind’s mother told The National last year.
Hind’s body was retrieved on February 10 and investigators found 335 bullet holes in the car she had been sheltering in.
Analysis by UK research agency Forensic Architecture found it was "not plausible that the shooter could not have seen that the car was occupied by civilians, including children". Two paramedics who were sent to the scene to save Hind were also killed, and the ambulance they were travelling in had been struck by Israeli forces, the PRCS said.
Hind’s death sparked global outrage and calls of solidarity, with US singer Macklemore releasing a song named after her. Students at Columbia University renamed a building on the campus in her honour.
“Hind’s story must never be forgotten. Her voice must never be silenced,” Mr Beydoun said.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4
Price, base: Dh145,000
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE