Death

• Date of death:

  28/01/2024

• Place of death:

  Gaza City

• Cause of death:

  Mass/ child homicide. On 29 January 2024, Rajab along with six of her family members were fleeing from the Gaza City neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa, when an Israeli army tank shot their vehicle, a black Kia, killing Rajab's aunt, uncle, and four cousins. The only other survivor, Rajab's 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamadeh, called the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) for emergency aid. Hamadeh was crying, further adding that "They are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. We're in the car, the tank is right next to us." Hamadeh was heard screaming as she was killed under the sound of machine gun fire raking the car while still on the line with responders. When the dispatchers called back, Rajab answered the call, stating everyone else in the car was dead and that the tank continued to approach the car. Rajab stayed on the line with the PRCS for three hours, telling the dispatcher, "I'm so scared, please come. Come take me. Please, will you come?" Her grandfather later told reporters that Rajab was injured in the back, hand and foot. Rajab, who was instructed to continue hiding in the vehicle, was set to be rescued by a PRCS ambulance. The audio of the phone call between the PRCS, Hamadeh and Rajab was published by the Red Crescent on 3 February. As the area was besieged, the PRCS worked with the Gaza Health Ministry and the Israeli military to guarantee safe passage for their ambulance crew to rescue Rajab. The ambulance reported that they were being targeted by the Israeli military with laser lights. After sounds of gunfire or an explosion, the connection was lost. The fate of Rajab and the paramedics was unknown until 12 days later on 10 February 2024, when the family returned after the withdrawal of the Israeli military, discovering the car with Rajab, Hamadeh, and the rest of her uncle's entire family deceased. The windows were blown out, and the doors were covered with bullet holes. The Red Crescent ambulance was found a few feet away, completely destroyed by an Israeli missile, with two ambulance workers, Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, also killed.

• Burial site:

  Tel al-Hawa, Gaza Strip