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Six-Year-Old Gaza Girl Found Dead, Family Says, Blaming Israel

Palestinians extinguish a burning car hit by an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 10, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians extinguish a burning car hit by an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 10, 2024. (Reuters)
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Six-Year-Old Gaza Girl Found Dead, Family Says, Blaming Israel

Palestinians extinguish a burning car hit by an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 10, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians extinguish a burning car hit by an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 10, 2024. (Reuters)

A six-year-old Palestinian girl who went missing after the family's car came under fire in war-ravaged Gaza was found dead Saturday, the health ministry and her relatives said, accusing Israel of killing her.

The last time Hind Rajab had been seen was about two weeks ago when she was surrounded by dead relatives after becoming trapped in the vehicle as they tried to flee Gaza City as Israeli forces advanced.

"Hind and everyone else in the car is martyred," the girl's grandfather, Baha Hamada told AFP.

A number of family members made the grim discovery when they went to Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa area looking for the car near a petrol station where it had last been spotted, he said.

"They were able to reach the area because Israeli forces withdrew early at dawn today," Hamada added.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip confirmed Hind's death.

"She was killed by (Israeli) occupation forces with all those who were with her in the car outside the petrol station in Tel al-Hawa," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier this week, family members had said the group found their way in the path of Israeli tanks and were fired on as they tried to flee.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military did not comment on the incident.

The war in Gaza was sparked by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza that the territory's health ministry says has killed at least 27,947 people, mostly women and children.

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Türkiye Will Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ If Syria Govt Cannot Address Kurd Militia Issue, FM Says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)
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Türkiye Will Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ If Syria Govt Cannot Address Kurd Militia Issue, FM Says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a meeting of foreign Ministers on developments in Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, 14 December 2024. (EPA)

Türkiye will do "whatever it takes" to ensure its security if the new Syrian administration cannot address Ankara's concerns about US-allied Kurdish groups it views as terrorist groups, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday.

Türkiye regards the YPG, the militant group spearheading the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for 40 years and are deemed terrorists by Ankara, Washington, and the European Union.

Hostilities have escalated since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad less than two weeks ago, with Türkiye and Syrian groups it backs seizing the city of Manbij from the SDF on Dec. 9. Assad's fall has left the Kurdish factions on the back foot as they seek to retain political gains made in the last 13 years.

In an interview with France 24, Fidan said Ankara's preferred option was for the new administration in Damascus to address the problem in line with Syria's territorial unity, sovereignty, and integrity, adding that the YPG should be disbanded immediately.

"If it doesn't happen, we have to protect our own national security," he said. When asked if that included military action, Fidan said: "Whatever it takes."

Asked about SDF commander Mazloum Abdi's comments about the possibility of a negotiated solution with Ankara, Fidan said the group should seek such a settlement with Damascus, as there was "a new reality" there now.

"The new reality, hopefully, they will address these issues, but at the same time, (the) YPG/PKK, they know what we want. We don't want to see any form of military threat to ourselves. Not the present one, but also the potential one," he added.

Ankara, alongside Syrian allies, has mounted several cross-border offensives against the YPG-led SDF in northern Syria, while repeatedly demanding that its NATO ally Washington halt support for the fighters.

The US-backed SDF played a major role defeating ISIS militants in 2014-2017 with US air support, and still guards its fighters in prison camps. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the extremist group would try to re-establish capabilities in this period.

Fidan said he didn't find the recent uptick in US troops in Syria to be the "right decision", adding the battle against ISIS was an "excuse" to maintain support for the SDF.

"The fight against ISIS, there is only one job: to keep ISIS prisoners in prisons, that's it," he said.

Fidan also said that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which swept into Damascus to topple Assad, had "excellent cooperation" with Ankara in the battle against ISIS and al-Qaeda in the past through intelligence sharing.

He also said Türkiye was not in favor of any foreign bases, including Russian ones, remaining in Syria, but that the choice was up to the Syrian people.