Ms. Rachel has highlighted the suffering of children in Gaza despite pro-Israel pressure [Getty]
Rachel Griffin Accurso, beloved by millions as the online kids content creator Ms. Rachel, has shared on Sunday that she recently connected with Wissam Hamada, the mother of Hind Rajab.
Hind was a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israel during its war on Gaza and who has come to symbolise the suffering of children living under Israeli bombardment and attacks.
In a moving update, Ms. Rachel revealed that she and Hind’s mother exchanged messages reflecting on their children. She wrote:
“Hind Rajab’s mom and I are messaging about our children. She is telling me about how Hind loved to pretend to be a doctor and treat everyone. How she was an angel baby,” she wrote.
“I’m in tears because I’m sitting with my daughter as we message. It’s excruciating to think about what happened to Hind.”
“As I message her back I remember the anguish I felt hearing Hind’s voice on the phone call recording… She was hearing her precious daughter’s voice. I look at my daughter. God help us,” she finished.
Hind was killed in January 2024 when her family’s car was deliberately targeted by Israeli forces as they attempted to flee Gaza City.
Her desperate call for help was heard by emergency dispatchers, but the ambulance sent to rescue her was also shelled and destroyed by Israeli forces. Twelve days later, Hind’s body was found alongside her cousin and the medics who tried to save her.
This comes as the Hind Rajab Foundation announced on Saturday, which would have been her seventh birthday, that a formal war crimes complaint had been filed with the International Criminal Court, naming the Israeli brigade commander allegedly responsible for the attack.
“Today, Hind should have been blowing out candles,” the Foundation wrote. “Instead, we are naming her killer.”
Ms. Rachel’s private exchange with Hind’s mother comes amid her broader advocacy for children affected by the Gaza war.
In 2024, she launched a fundraiser that raised over $50,000 for emergency aid to children in conflict zones, including Gaza.
The campaign, while widely praised by many parents, also drew criticism from some pro-Israel organisations, who accused her of “antiseimitism”.
In response to the backlash, Ms. Rachel issued a public statement reaffirming her commitment to all children, saying, “I care deeply for all children. Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US —Muslim, Jewish, Christian children—all children, in every country.”
Many saw the criticism of her by pro-Israel groups as an attempt to silence her highlighting the brutal toll that Israel’s war on Gaza has had on Palestinian children, with over 17,000 children killed since the war began in October 2023.
