Honouring the memory of Hind Rajab at Free Derry Corner

Free Derry Corner has become the site of a shocking and powerful art installation titled 'Her Name Was Hind'.

The piece was accompanied by a vigil, organised by the city's RISE for Palestine group on Wednesday afternoon, part of its week of solidarity events marking two years of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Co-founder of RISE for Palestine, Catherine Hutton, said the event was held "in honour of the memory of Hind Rajab, her family, and the countless victims of genocide in Gaza".

"On January 29, 2024, five-year-old Hind Rajab was murdered, alongside her family, in a brutal act of genocidal violence by the Israeli Defence Forces. Hind survived the initial attack but was left trapped in the wreckage, surrounded by the dead bodies of her family members. Her cries for help, captured during a live call to emergency services, were broadcast worldwide. The inhumanity of this calculated act reverberated globally, showing Israel's systematic and indiscriminate targeting of civilians in Gaza," said Ms Hutton.

"We remember Hind as more than a victim of Israel's genocidal campaign. She is a symbol of resistence, a child whose life and story demand justice. More than 18 months after the murder of Hind Rajab, those responsible have not faced justice yet," added Ms Hutton.

"Hind, alongside her four cousins, aunt, and uncle, made an attempt to evacuate from the Tel al-Hawa neighbourood in Gaza city as Israeli forces invaded. As they were trying to escape in their Kia Picanto, an IDF unit began shooting at their car. Hind's cousin, 15-year-old Layan Hamada, made an urgent call to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), stating that they were being targeted, a tank was getting closer, and that everyone in the car besides Hind and her were killed. Seconds after, gunshots were heard once again, and Layan's screaming abruptly stopped. Hind was now the only one left alive, gravely injured and alone, trapped in the car. The PRCS stayed in contact with Hind, as they attempted to gain permission from the IDF to send paramedica to the location to save her.

"The PRCS released a recording of a call from Hind Rajab reading Quran.

"An investigation by Forensic Architecture later found  that a total of 335 bullets were fired at the car and that the tank operators had a clear view of the two children inside the vehicle. The investigation also found that the IDF tank was placed only 13 to 23 metres away from the car of Hind's family. In just six seconds 64 gunshots were fired on Hind's cousin, 15-year-old Layan, while she was already on the call with the PRCS.

"Around 6.00pm, PRCS paramedics Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun left Al-Ahli Hospital in an ambulance in order to rescue Hind. After they arrived at the location of the car, they were never heard from again. The last thing captured on a call between the two paramedics and the PRCS communication team was an explosion," said Ms Hutton.

The call recorded between them went: "Control room: 'Can you see the car?' Ambulance: 'I can't see a thing here.' Control room: 'Do you have your siren and flashing lights on?' Ambulance: 'Just the lights, not the sirens.' Ambulance: 'Oh! There it is.' EXPLOSION."

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According to Catherine Hutton, two weeks after the attack, when the IDF finally evacuated the area, the "decomposing bodies of Hind, Layan and their family members were discovered.

She said: "A few metres away, the burnt out ambulance was found together with the remains of paramedics Yusuf and Ahmed,

"Hind Rajab's story resonates far beyond her individual tragedy because it symbolises the systemic cruelty and humiliation faced by Palestinans under occupation. Similar to thousands of children who were slain before and after her; the story of Hind Rajab gives a clear image of the intentional, collective punishment that Israel has been inflicting on civilians, especially children, as well as the deliberate targeting of healthcare workers.

"On January 29, 2024, the IDF's genocidal intent was again on full display to the world, yet their actions went unpunished.

"According to the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, five-year-old Hind Rajab, her family, and two paramedics who attempted to save Hind were all victims of a serious and complex crims that included multiple grave violations and war crimes." [Euro Med Monitor]

Ms Hutton concluded: "In a world that often seeks to normalise or ignore the suffering of Palestinians, we refuse to let Hind's story be erased or dismissed. 

"Preserving Hind's memory is a powerful act of resistence. I reminds us that these acts are not isolated but part of a deliberate and ongoing campaign of violence.

"Honouring Hind's memory means taking action to ensure that her murder - and the murder of so many others  - is not forgotten."