The Voice of Hend Rajab: A Heart-Wrenching Documentary Premieres at the Venice International Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival hosted the world premiere of "The Voice of Hend Rajab," a documentary film by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania. The film documents the tragic story of a young Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab, who was surrounded by Israeli tanks.
In competition for the "Golden Lion" award, the film received widespread critical acclaim and a standing ovation from the audience, who were deeply moved by the film's powerful portrayal of Hind's story.
A Tragic Story Unfolds
The film combines original audio recordings and reenactments to tell the story of Hind Rajab, who pleaded for hours with Palestinian Red Crescent rescuers over the phone to come and save her after her loved ones were killed in a bombing that targeted their vehicle.
On Saturday, February 10, 2024, the bodies of 6-year-old Hind and five members of her family (her uncle, his wife, and their three children) were found. Their vehicle had been surrounded 12 days earlier in Tal al-Hawa, southwest of Gaza City, along with the two rescuers who had come to their aid.
The Red Crescent announced that it had found their ambulance in Tal al-Hawa and confirmed the death of rescuers Yousef Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, who had gone missing during their rescue mission.
A Deliberate Attack
The organization explained that the occupying forces had deliberately targeted the ambulance as soon as it arrived on the scene. The vehicle was found just a few meters away from the girl's car, despite prior coordination to access the area.
The attack on Hind and her family shocked the world, and calls for help to find her continued after contact was lost with the two rescuers. The Palestinian Red Crescent documented the crime by releasing an audio recording of the little girl, in which her voice can be heard, leaving a poignant testimony to this brutal execution.
