Rana Faqih’s job is to respond unhesitatingly to emergencies. But on January 29, 2024, the Palestine Red Crescent Society first responder found herself helpless.
Working on the emergency lines at Red Crescent headquarters in the occupied West Bank, she and a colleague received a plea for help from Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl injured and trapped in a car in Gaza city with dead relatives as Israeli forces surrounded them.
In an interview with The National, Ms Faqih recalled how she tried for more than an hour to reassure Hind that rescuers would arrive, until the line went dead.
"I remember Hind's voice as if she were still talking to me. She was scared, her voice trembling, and she was asking: Please, come get me,” said the first responder.
"I was trying to reassure her, staying on the line with her, while my heart was broken. I was basically crying the entire call. Time was passing at a deathly slow pace,” she added. "I will never forget her voice. To this day, it's still there in my head.”
Ms Faqih spoke to Hind after her colleague answered a call from the girl's cousin, Layan, before she was killed. At some point, Hind began screaming as Ms Faqih heard tanks approaching. Then, the line went dead.
“I broke down. I thought the tank ran over her,” she said. Her colleague called Hind back. She picked up – and said she wanted to speak to Ms Faqih. They stayed on the line until she was killed.
At one point, Hind can be heard saying, “I’m so scared … Call someone to get me, please,” according to the recording released by the PRCS.
Ms Faqih recited verses from the Quran with Hind, who repeated them after her. For a moment, it offered some distraction, but the fear never left. “Please get me out of here,” the little girl pleaded.
Voice of Hind
Nothing was known of Hind’s fate until 12 days later, when Israeli troops withdrew from the area and the bullet-riddled car containing the bodies of Hind, her aunt, uncle, and four cousins was found in the Tel Al Hawa district of Gaza city.
The bodies of two Red Crescent workers sent to rescue her were found nearby, along with their ambulance.
"Forgive me,” said Ms Faqih, 39, when asked about her message to Hind's mother. "We were trying, by God, we were trying.”
Hind is one of thousands of children killed by the Israeli army since the war began in October 2023, but the recording of her call to the Red Crescent and the uncertainty about her fate grabbed international attention.
The Voice of Hind Rajab, a film about her final hours, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday. Hollywood stars Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Rooney Mara have joined Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer and Alfonso Cuaron as executive producers.
"The world heard Hind's voice, but did their heart listen?,” asked the Palestinian first responder, who has lived all her life under Israeli occupation.
"Children in Gaza aren't numbers. Hind was a real girl, dreaming, afraid, laughing, crying, and loving to live. Help us stop this war and the killing of children and civilians, so we can once again believe that humanity still exists,” she said.
"As for Hind, keep her in your memory, not just as a child who was martyred, but as a voice calling to the entire world and saying: I'm scared, come take me.”
Not a target
Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 63,600 Palestinians, including thousands of children. Still, global outcry and calls to end the bombing have drawn no response from the Israeli government, dominated largely by extremist ministers.
In Hind’s case, Israel carried out an internal military review that assigned no responsibility, but independent investigations and international observers say the evidence points to targeting, not a tragic accident.
Ms Faqih said the world must help bring justice to Hind, her family, and Ahmed and Yousef, the two Red Crescent staff who were killed.
She recalled how the response to Hind's call was co-ordinated with local authorities.
"On the day of the incident, they didn't hesitate for a moment. They were informed, and finally, co-ordination with the health ministry arrived. They waited for the map and ran to it, carrying in their hearts a promise: We will get you there,” she said.
"But they were targeted by the occupying forces and martyred, at the heart of their duty, performing the most sacred mission: saving lives,” she added.
"In their name, and in the name of every colleague of ours in the Palestine Red Crescent, we appeal to the world: Do not leave our crews and all medical personnel alone. Do not remain silent when we are targeted.”
Every call
Since the Hamas attacks on southern Israel, ministers have called for punishing the entire population of two million in Gaza by continuing the war against them, starving them, and displacing them from their land. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
Last month, recordings leaked by Israeli media revealed a senior army intelligence general justifying the killing of 50 Palestinians for every Israeli – even children – as a way to send a message to future generations of Israelis and Palestinians.
Ms Faqih has been a first responder since 2013, participating in relief missions during Pakistan’s floods and the Syria earthquake, and has extensive experience in disaster management. But none of that prepared her for Hind’s tragedy.
"Even though I work in a humanitarian profession and I knew the dangers associated, I never expected to witness a moment like this – a moment of lost humanity, and an innocent voice calling out in the midst of death,” she said.
"I never imagined I'd witness such immense pain – a moment when hope dies, right in front of you, in the voice of a little girl.”
She said she has been carrying the burden of every call ever since, as if it were Hind calling her again.
"At work, I kept working and answering calls. Maybe that's how I vented my anger and sadness – knowing that there were still appeals and needs.”
But every now and then, that one-hour phone call at 2.45pm suddenly haunts her with waves of grief and pain.
"Every minute that passed felt like a year, and I was helpless.”
