Six-year-old Hind Rajab killed by Israeli forces, Palestinian officials say

A six-year-old Palestinian girl who went missing after the family's car came under fire by Israeli forces in war-ravaged Gaza has been killed, the health ministry and her relatives said.

Hind Rajab was missing for a few days after a car she was travelling in with family members was allegedly hit by Israeli forces, Palestinian officials say. But she was presumed alive after a desperate call was made from the car in which Hind's cousin was begging rescuers for help.

"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 Gaza 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 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.