As ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ heads to Oscars, US lawmakers seek probe into Gaza killing
US lawmakers have introduced the Justice for Hind Rajab Act, demanding an investigation into the 2024 killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza and seeking accountability for civilian harm in the conflict.
More than a year after five-year-old Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza, US lawmakers are demanding answers and accountability from the Donald Trump government. On March 12, 2026, Senator Peter Welch and Representative Sara Jacobs introduced the Justice for Hind Rajab Act, a piece of legislation that could force the Trump administration to investigate the child’s death and examine broader patterns of civilian harm in the conflict.
An audio recording of the last moments of Hind Rajab was later released by THE Palestine Red Crescent Society.
*Disturbing audio. Readers’ discretion advised.
⏺️Audio recording of the moment gunfire was directed at 15-year-old Layan Hamadeh while she was speaking on the phone with the Palestine Red Crescent team.
💔Layan was killed, and 6-year-old Hind remained trapped inside the car surrounded by the occupation tanks and soldiers.… pic.twitter.com/iMHGdoRcni
A five-year-old's killing. A congressional bill. An Oscar-nominated film. Here's everything you need to know.
BACKGROUND
Hind Rajab — Gaza City, 2018–2024
Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl living in Gaza City. On January 29, 2024, she and her family attempted to flee ongoing fighting and famine. Their car came under fire from an Israeli tank. Every adult in the vehicle was killed. Hind was the only survivor — for hours.
5
Years old when killed
6
Family members killed with her
3 hrs
Alone and alive in the car
THE PHONE CALL
An Hour on the Line
Surrounded by the bodies of her relatives, Hind called the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and stayed on the line for over an hour, pleading for help. Her voice became one of the most harrowing testimonies of the Gaza conflict.
Sources: Senator Peter Welch press release (March 12, 2026) · The Hollywood Reporter · Middle East Eye · Rep. Pramila Jayapal's office · Forensic Architecture
JAN 29, 2024 — MORNING
Hind's family attempts to flee Gaza City. Six family members are killed by machine gun fire from an Israeli tank.
JAN 29, 2024 — HOURS LATER
Hind calls the Red Crescent. She is alone, alive, and surrounded by her slain relatives. She stays on the line for over an hour.
JAN 29, 2024 — AFTERNOON
Two paramedics are killed. Their ambulance is destroyed by Israeli tank fire as they approach on an IDF-approved route to rescue Hind.
DAYS LATER
Hind's body is found. Investigators count 355 bullet holes in the family car. The IDF initially denies its forces were nearby.
INVESTIGATION
Forensic Architecture uses satellite imagery to conclude Israeli tanks were present and one likely fired 335 rounds at the car.
MAR 12, 2026
Justice for Hind Rajab Act introduced in US Congress by Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA).
Sources: Senator Peter Welch press release (March 12, 2026) · The Hollywood Reporter · Middle East Eye · Rep. Pramila Jayapal's office · Forensic Architecture
THE LEGISLATION
Justice for Hind Rajab Act
Introduced March 12, 2026 by Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA). A bicameral bill — filed simultaneously in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
★
Congressional Findings
Presents official Congressional findings on the attack that killed Hind and broader patterns of civilian harm in Gaza.
⚖
State Dept. Accountability
Requires the State Department to explain what steps the US took to investigate the killing, and whether any Americans were involved.
◆
Geneva Conventions Commitment
Aims to reassert the United States' commitment to the Geneva Conventions and the prosecution of war crimes.
"This was not a 'fog of war' situation. There wasn't any reason for the IDF to believe Hind and her family posed a threat. We need answers and accountability."
— Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), March 12, 2026
Sources: Senator Peter Welch press release (March 12, 2026) · The Hollywood Reporter · Middle East Eye · Rep. Pramila Jayapal's office · Forensic Architecture
SYMBOL OF CIVILIAN HARM
A Face for the Tens of Thousands
Hind has become a symbol for the tens of thousands of children killed in Gaza since Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 — which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 being taken hostage, sparking Israeli military retaliation.
THE OSCAR CONNECTION
A Film, a Screening, a Bill
The bill was timed alongside Oscars weekend, where The Voice of Hind Rajab — a docudrama reconstructing her final hours — is nominated for Best International Feature Film. Welch and Jacobs hosted a Capitol Hill screening in the weeks prior.
POLITICAL REALITY
An Uphill Battle
The bill must clear committees and floor debates in both chambers — a difficult path in a Republican-dominated Congress. Its sponsors argue that demanding transparency is not partisan. It is, they say, a legal and moral obligation.
Sources: Senator Peter Welch press release (March 12, 2026) · The Hollywood Reporter · Middle East Eye · Rep. Pramila Jayapal's office · Forensic Architecture
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