An Al-Jazeera investigation, produced in collaboration with Forensic Architecture, has identified Israeli officers and units responsible for the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab, sparking new international legal action.
Al-Jazeera’s program ‘What’s Hidden is Greater’ has uncovered the identities of Israeli soldiers involved in the killing of six-year-old Palestinian child Hind Rajab, whose death became one of the most powerful symbols of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
The episode, presented by journalist Tamer Al-Mashaal and released from Brussels, traces a detailed web of evidence that exposes the Israeli military unit responsible for the attack and follows the subsequent legal efforts now underway to bring those involved before international courts.
A Child’s Last Call
On January 29, 2024, Hind Rajab was trapped inside her family’s car in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood after Israeli tanks opened fire.
Her final words, whispered to rescuers over the phone — “The tank is next to me” — went viral across the world. Hours later, rescuers found the vehicle riddled with bullets, the six-year-old’s body lying beside her mother and other family members.
Israel denied its forces were present in the area at the time.
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Reconstructing the Crime
The investigation, produced in collaboration with the Forensic Architecture Lab at Goldsmiths, University of London, used satellite imagery, radio recordings, and digital forensics to reconstruct the attack moment by moment.
The analysis found that the car carrying Hind’s family was hit by 335 bullets fired from an Israeli tank located only 23 meters away.
Audio and ballistic evidence showed the gunfire came from one direction and at a high rate of fire, nearly 900 rounds per second, disproving Israel’s claim that its forces were engaged in a clash with Palestinian fighters.
‘Vampire Empire’
The investigation identified the perpetrators as members of the 401st Armored Brigade of the Israeli army, under the command of Benny Aharon, and specifically its 52nd Battalion, led by Colonel Daniel Ella.
The company that carried out the attack reportedly operated under the name ‘Vampire Empire’, commanded by Officer Sean Glass, who was recorded boasting that he led soldiers who “don’t wait for orders.”
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According to Al-Jazeera, Glass ordered both the shelling of the civilian car and the subsequent targeting of the ambulance sent to rescue Hind.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has submitted a full legal case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Glass, Ella, and another soldier, Itai Shukerkov, a dual Israeli-Argentinian citizen who participated in the operation.
A separate complaint was filed against Shukerkov in Argentina.
Expanding the Investigation
The program also revealed evidence of wider crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
It traced the actions of Shimon Zuckerman, a soldier who documented himself blowing up homes in Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis. His videos, shared online, have become part of a German legal case under the Crimes Against Humanity Act.
Other cases include Adi Karni, filmed planting explosives in residential buildings, and Yuval Fagdani from the Givati Brigade, who fled South America after investigations began.
Killer of Hind Rajab Identified: ICC Complaint Filed against Israeli Officer
According to Al-Jazeera, Israel maintains an organized network to smuggle wanted soldiers out of foreign countries via private aircraft and military bases.
According to the Hind Rajab Foundation, more than 1,000 legal cases have now been filed worldwide against Israeli soldiers and officers for crimes committed during the war on Gaza.
Some of these cases have reached courts in Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
(PC, AJA)
The Israeli Jewish Nazis are savages. If they all died tomorrow no one would even care.