Washington: US Democratic lawmakers have introduced the Justice for Hind Rajab Act, demanding that the State Department disclose all it knows about the killing of 6-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in Gaza and whether any Americans were involved, US media reported on Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the proposed law, spearheaded by Senator Peter Welch and representatives Pramila Jayapal and Sara Jacobs, would require the secretaries of state and defense to submit a report within 45 days outlining whether the killing violated the US Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Law, which bars US military aid to foreign forces that commit human rights abuses.

The legislation comes as Rajab's death on Jan. 29, 2024, when she and five family members were shot by Israeli soldiers while fleeing northern Gaza, has become a symbol of the broader humanitarian crisis, with Gaza's Health Ministry reporting more than 20,000 children killed in the Israeli offensive since October 2023.

Since October 7, 2023, the United States has provided more than $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel, funding a majority of the expenses needed by the Israel Defense Forces to conduct the war in Gaza. The bill cites the date the Israeli offensive began and notes that an estimated 10,000 people from the US were activated for the war.

Critics have accused the administration of former US President Joe Biden-who was in office when the offensive began-of deflecting responsibility by referring inquiries to Israel, according to Middle East Eye. A New Policy, a US-based advocacy group, emphasized the necessity of international bodies like the International Criminal Court and bills such as the Justice for Hind Rajab Act to ensure accountability.

The bill's introduction coincides with growing attention to Rajab's story through the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, which dramatizes her final calls for help to Palestinian aid workers and is expected to contend in the international film category at Sunday's Academy Awards.