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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceBoeing: How much trouble is the company in?Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Alaska AirlinesImage caption, January’s mid-air blowout involved an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9, such as this oneBy Theo LeggettBusiness correspondent, BBC News”It’s as if I’m watching a troubled child” is how Captain Dennis Tajer describes flying a Boeing 737 Max.The head of the Allied Pilots Association, the pilots union for American Airlines, insists he would never board an aircraft if it were not safe. But he says he can no longer take the quality of the plane he’s flying for granted.”I’m at an alert status that I’ve never had to be in on a Boeing airplane,” he says.”Because I don’t trust that they’ve followed the processes that have previously kept me safe on Boeing airplanes for over three decades.”Executives at the aerospace giant’s shiny new headquarters in Arlington, Virginia could be forgiven for feeling like they are under siege.Every day seems to bring more bad headlines for the company, which is coming under pressure from regulators and airlines, and has seen its reputation badly damaged.The trouble began in January, when a disused emergency exit door blew off a brand new Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off from Portland International Airport.An initial report from the US National Transportation Safety Board concluded that four bolts meant to attach the door securely to the aircraft had not been fitted.Boeing is reportedly facing a criminal investigation into the incident itself, as well as legal action from passengers aboard the plane.Image source, Dennis TajerImage caption, Captain Dennis Tajer says he’s “at an alert status that I’ve never had to be in on a Boeing airplane”But although no-one was seriously hurt, the affair had much wider repercussions. It cast a harsh spotlight on the aerospace giant’s corporate culture and attitude to safety.Five years ago Boeing faced one of the biggest scandals in its history, after two brand new 737 Max planes were lost in almost identical accidents that cost 346 lives.The cause was flawed flight control software, details of which it was accused of deliberately concealing from regulators. The company, which agreed to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn) to settle fraud charges, and admitted wrongdoing, faced widespread accusations that it had put profits ahead of passengers’ lives. It reaffirmed its commitment to safety, and in early 2020 its newly appointed chief executive Dave Calhoun promised it could “do better. Much better.”Yet the scrutiny that followed the incident in January this year has called that commitment into question.Addressing those concerns, in January 2023 chief executive Dave Calhoun said: “We will go slow, we will not rush the system and we will take our time to do it right.”Boeing’s mid-air blowout puts safety record in spotlight againMid-flight blowout a big problem for BoeingEarlier this month the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, said that a six-week audit of the 737 Max production process at Boeing and its supplier Spirit Aerosystems had found “multiple instances where the companies failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements”.The findings came shortly after another report into Boeing’s safety culture by an expert panel found a “disconnect” between senior management and regular staff, as well as signs that staff were hesitant about reporting problems for fear of retaliation.Adam Dickson, a former senior manager at Boeing who once worked on the 737 Max programme, agrees there is a gulf between executives and workers on the factory floor.”The culture at Boeing has been toxic to trust for over a decade now,” he says.”You can add safety steps, you can add procedures. But the fundamental issue of distrust makes those changes almost ineffective”, he claims.Meanwhile, further evidence of how production problems could endanger safety emerged this week. The FAA warned that improperly installed wiring bundles on 737 Max planes could become damaged, leading to controls on the wings deploying unexpectedly, and making the aircraft start to roll.If not addressed, it said, this “could result in loss of control of the airplane”. Hundreds of planes already in service will have to be checked as a result. Boeing said based on the FAA audit it was continuing “to implement immediate changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to strengthen safety and quality, and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers.”Image source, EPAImage caption, A recent report found a “disconnect” between Boeing senior management and regular staffBut concerns about Boeing’s production standards are far from new.Whistleblower John Barnett, who was found dead last weekend, had worked at Boeing’s factory in South Carolina from 2010 until his retirement in 2017.A quality manager on the 787 Dreamliner programme, he had claimed the rush to build planes as quickly as possible in order to maximise profits had led to unsafe practices.Among a number of allegations, he told the BBC that in some cases under-pressure workers had deliberately fitted substandard parts to planes on the production line.Boeing denied his claims. But his untimely death, which occurred between legal hearings in a lawsuit against the company, has focused new attention on them.The crisis at the aerospace giant is now causing problems for airlines.Ryanair has warned that delays to new aircraft deliveries will push up prices for passengers in Europe this summer. The US carrier Southwest plans to cut its capacity this year because it can’t get hold of the planes it needs.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: ‘Trip from hell’: On board flight during mid-air blowoutSome carriers may try to obtain Airbus models to replace the lost Boeings. But a wholesale transfer of orders from the American manufacturer to the European is simply impractical.Both have very full order books. Airbus has a backlog of more than 8,000 planes and Boeing more than 6,000. Airlines are already having to wait longer than they would like for new aircraft. Airbus has had its own supply chain problems, leading to late deliveries. There is a potential third player. The Chinese manufacturer Comac has developed the C919, a plane designed to compete with the 737 Max and the A320 neo.But that programme is still in its infancy. By 2028 it will be producing only 150 aircraft a year.In other words, the market needs Boeing to be healthy, and to overcome its current problems quickly. So can that happen?According to Ed Pierson, executive director at the Foundation for Aviation Safety, the issues involved are complex, but fixable.Himself a former Boeing whistleblower, he has spent years lobbying regulators to take a firm approach to the company.”Boeing, their suppliers, airlines, and government agencies are capable of overcoming these challenges, but the first step in fixing these problems is being honest,” he says”They need to admit these problems exist and stop trying to spin the truth. The more they spin, the longer it takes to solve the problems and the greater the risk.”Boeing says that over the last several years, it has “never hesitated to slow down, to halt production, or to stop deliveries to take the time we need to get things right.”. It added that it has launched a “Speak Up” programme encouraging staff to raise issues that need to be addressed.Related TopicsCompaniesBoeing 737 Max 8Aviation accidents and incidentsBoeingAviation safetyInternational BusinessMore on this storyBoeing’s mid-air blowout puts safety record in spotlight againPublished14 JanuaryMid-flight blowout a big problem for BoeingPublished8 JanuaryTop Stories’He will come back’ – Israeli hostage families cling to hope, and demand a dealPublished3 hours agoCouncils told to consider residents’ support of LTNsPublished3 hours agoIceland volcano lava nears Grindavik in new eruptionPublished1 hour agoFeatures’He will come back’ – Israeli hostage families cling to hope, and demand a dealThe Papers: ‘Shapps missile threat’ and ‘Strictly stars summit’Game of Thrones creators: Why we swapped dragons for aliens in new showHow much trouble is Boeing in?’I got my first death threat before I was elected’What it’s like styling Zendaya for a red carpetAs notorious death row closes, inmates fear what awaits in new prisonsThe bomb scare, the police and the drag queenIdris Elba ‘dreams big’ with West African eco-city planElsewhere on the BBCFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’It was a song that broke all the rules’The epic story behind Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring Brian May and Roger TaylorAttributioniPlayerExploring the mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1How much trouble is Boeing in?2’Shapps missile threat’ and ‘Strictly stars summit’3Derek Thompson’s Casualty exits after 38 years4Councils told to consider residents’ support of LTNs5Game of Thrones creators: Why we swapped dragons for aliens in new show6Iceland volcano lava nears Grindavik in new eruption7’Unprecedented’ M25 closures enter third day8Shapps abandoned Ukraine trip over security – MoD9’I got my first death threat before I was elected’10Ed Davey calls for ‘once in generation’ election
[ad_1] The US plane giant is under pressure from regulators and airlines, and its reputation is badly damaged.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaMunich security talks marked by global ‘lose-lose’ anxietyPublished45 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, UN Secretary General António Guterres (2nd left) and EU top diplomat Josep Borrell (2nd right) had a lot to discussBy Lyse DoucetChief international correspondent in MunichIt’s called the Munich Rule: engage and interact; don’t lecture or ignore one another.But this year, at the 60th Munich Security Conference (MSC), two of the most talked-about people weren’t even here. That included former US President Donald Trump, whose possible return to the White House could throw a spanner in the work of the transatlantic relationship, which lies at the heart of this premier international forum. And Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who was vehemently blamed by one world leader after another for the death of his most prominent critic Alexei Navalny, not to mention his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which continues to cast a long dark shadow across Europe and far beyond.The staggering news of Navalny’s death, which broke just hours before the conference kicked off on Friday, underlined again the perilous unpredictability of a world carved up by multiple fault lines and entrenched interests.”We live in a world where there is more and more confrontation and less co-operation,” regretted the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. “The world has become a much more dangerous place,” he told me as the conference drew to a close on Sunday.”Lose-Lose?” was the maxim of this year’s gathering, at a time of deepening geopolitical tensions and jarring economic uncertainties. The MSC’s annual report warned that it could give rise to “lose-lose” dynamics among governments, “a downwards spiral that jeopardises co-operation and undermines the existing international order”.”I think this has been the conference of a disordered world,” reflected David Miliband, the CEO and president of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). “It’s a world dominated by impunity, where the guardrail stabilisers are not working and that’s why there’s so much disorder, not just in Ukraine and in Gaza and Israel, but more widely in places like Sudan, whose humanitarian crisis isn’t even getting on the agenda,” he said.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch Yulia Navalnaya speak following report of husband’s deathThis issue of impunity, one of the toughest of political challenges, was suddenly transformed into a poignant personal story when Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, unexpectedly appeared on the conference’s main stage in the grand Bayerischer Hof hotel to condemn Russia’s president and urge the assembled presidents, prime ministers, defence chiefs and top diplomats to bring him to justice. Her remarkable composure and clarity stunned the packed hall, which gave her a sustained standing ovation before and after she spoke with palpable pain. This year Russia, as well as Iran, weren’t invited to Munich because the organisers assessed they weren’t “interested in meaningful dialogue”. Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockImage caption, Protesters against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine made their voices heard during the Munich conferenceIn MSC forums gone by, vitriolic speeches by Russia’s veteran Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov angered and electrified the main hall, and Iran’s visible presence highlighted the rivalries and risks in urgent need of resolution.The imperative of continuing hefty Western military and financial assistance to Ukraine was underscored repeatedly by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who exhorted participants to act, as he rushed from one high-level meeting to the next. “The year of 2024 demands your response – from everyone in the world,” he beseeched delegates when he spoke from the top podium. Zelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weaponsThe US’s pivotal support was uppermost in his mind as a vital security package, amounting to $60bn (£48bn), is being held up by a US Congress where Republican lawmakers are increasingly divided over whether to keep backing Kyiv in its fight. Back home in Ukraine, soldiers are even running out of bullets on front lines.Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockImage caption, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh argued that a “serious ceasefire” was urgently needed in GazaUS delegates in Munich, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, were at pains to insist that she and President Joe Biden would not abandon Ukraine, nor America’s leadership in global affairs.But with US elections just nine months away, Mr Trump is already shaping the polarised political debate in Washington and reviving anxiety that he could pull the US out of the Nato military alliance and other international commitments.”They know what they need to do but they can’t get it done, and that’s the gap that has to be filled,” was how Mr Miliband assessed pledges voiced by the US and European allies in Munich.Others were even more stinging in their criticism. “Lots of words. No concrete commitments,” posted Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Institute of International Affairs, on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s a sad MSC2024.”The gaps were even more glaring when it came to the devastating Israel-Gaza war, which erupted after Hamas’s murderous assault on southern Israel on 7 October. Israel’s military operations are causing a staggering number of civilian casualties and have ravaged much of this coastal strip.”We have seen a really great interest from the international community and the world leaders who have gathered here in Munich that they would like to see a serious ceasefire and a substantial amount of international aid into Gaza,” Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh remarked in an interview.But Israeli delegates, including former peace negotiator Tzipi Livni, doubled down on the need to keep pressing forward. “I’m a political opponent of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, but I support the war in Gaza,” she emphasised in a session, which also included Mr Shtayyeh and the Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. “I support the strategic need to eliminate Hamas as a terrorist organisation and as a regime,” Ms Livni said.This year’s MSC marked a record attendance: more than 900 participants including some 50 heads of state and government from around the world, more than 100 ministers, as well as representatives of think-tanks, non-governmental organisations and leading businesses. Top spooks, feminist foreign ministers, climate warriors, Iranian activists, weapons experts, technology wizards and more – all gathered for their own get-togethers on public stages and in private rendezvous and hushed huddles. It all underlined how the world’s understanding of “global security” keeps shifting shape.Over the decades, this forum – born in 1963 in a Cold War quest for peace and prosperity – has often been a venue for real-time diplomacy, too. But in a year marked by worry over “lose-lose dynamics” Munich was a place for a lot of talking and taking stock as the world nervously wonders where the next blows will fall.Related TopicsWar in UkraineIsrael-Gaza warGermanyAlexei NavalnyMore on this storyWatch Yulia Navalnaya speak following report of husband’s death. Video, 00:02:12Watch Yulia Navalnaya speak following report of husband’s deathPublished2 days ago2:12Rosenberg: Dissent takes courage – and Navalny supporters are defiantPublished1 day agoZelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weaponsPublished1 day agoIs Russia turning the tide in Ukraine?Published1 day agoWhy are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Published5 days agoGaza Strip in maps: How life has changed in four monthsPublished9 FebruaryTop StoriesIsrael sets deadline for ground offensive in RafahPublished2 hours agoMurder arrest after three young children found dead in BristolPublished5 hours ago‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’Published10 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Schools phone ban’ and Kremlin ‘covering tracks’Who won what at the Bafta Awards – the full listWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaPakistan election: Imran Khan’s rivals PML-N and PPP reach deal to form governmentPublished47 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, RAHAT DAR/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockImage caption, PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif plans to nominate his brother Shehbaz Sharif – pictured here – to be prime ministerBy Caroline DaviesPakistan correspondentNawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto’s parties in Pakistan have reached a deal to form a government. Mr Bhutto’s PPP said it would help Mr Sharif’s PML-N elect a prime minister after last week’s election. The two parties were previously in a coalition that ousted Imran Khan from power in 2022.This time, independent candidates backed by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party unexpectedly won the most seats.PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari told a press conference that although his party and PML-N had contested elections against each other, they had come together in the interests of the nation.”It is not necessary that [we fight] forever,” Mr Zardari said.The PML-N said in a statement that both parties had agreed to cooperate in the interests of political stability.The results – in which independents backed by the PTI took 93 out of 266 directly elected seats – had left voters uncertain about which parties would form the next government.Mr Sharif’s PML-N won 75 seats while Mr Bhutto’s PPP came third with 54 seats.In addition, parties will be allocated more seats from the 70 reserved for women and non-Muslims. These additional seats are not available to independent candidates.According to PML-N official Marriyum Aurangzeb, party leader Mr Sharif plans to nominate his brother Shehbaz to be prime minister. Both men have previously served as prime minister. While Mr Bhutto says his party will help elect a PML-N prime minister, he earlier said it would not take any cabinet positions.Imran Khan and his party have continued to emphasise that they believe the elections were rigged against them and plan to challenge the results. He said: “I warn against the misadventure of forming a government with stolen votes.”Such daylight robbery will not only be a disrespect to the citizens but will also push the country’s economy further into a downward spiral.”Related TopicsPakistanImran KhanNawaz SharifShehbaz SharifMore on this storyWhat now in Pakistan after Khan vote surprise?Published1 day agoPakistan pact may shut out Imran Khan supportersPublished2 days agoTop StoriesLive. ‘He was always there’: Your tributes to radio legend Steve WrightRadio 2 presenter Steve Wright dies aged 69Published31 minutes agoLabour suspends second parliamentary candidatePublished20 minutes agoFeaturesSteve Wright: Radio giant and feel-good friend to millions10 things we spotted in the Oscars class photoFlipping great recipes ideas for Pancake Day from BBC FoodFive things about Harry and Meghan’s brand revampSteve Wright tributes and Labour suspends another candidate. AudioSteve Wright tributes and Labour suspends another candidateAttributionSoundsThe Body Shop was a trailblazer – what went wrong?’They thought it was a sex shop’ – The Body Shop in the ’80s. Video’They thought it was a sex shop’ – The Body Shop in the ’80sWhat does Taylor mania mean for the globe?Greece on the brink of legalising same-sex marriageElsewhere on the BBCThe mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerThe surprising health benefits of sleeping moreCould going to sleep one hour earlier dramatically improve your mood and health?AttributionSoundsHow close are we to nuclear Armageddon?The Doomsday Clock is the closest it’s ever been to midnight – Jane Corbin investigatesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Radio 2 presenter Steve Wright dies aged 692AI fake nearly led to serious disorder, says Khan3NHS apologises after hospital doctor took own life4Labour suspends second parliamentary candidate5Theatre bans comedian after Jewish ‘threat’ row6Hundreds attend historic Shrove Tuesday ball game7Five things about Harry and Meghan’s brand revamp8IVF clinic investigated over possible damaged eggs9Cathedral sheds its scaffolding after 38 years1010 things we spotted in the Oscars class photo](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/CC13/production/_132634225_950923f45859406855650abfea0dd7b15232f5fd.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael-Gaza war: Mystery fate of six-year-old Palestinian girl trapped under firePublished19 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, Rajab FamilyBy Lucy WilliamsonBBC News, JerusalemThe voice on the other end of the line was small and faint; a six-year-old’s voice, crackling on a mobile phone from Gaza.”The tank is next to me. It’s moving.”Sitting in the emergency call-centre of the Palestinian Red Crescent, Rana tried to keep her own voice calm.”Is it very close?””Very, very,” the small voice replied. “Will you come and get me? I’m so scared.”There was nothing Rana could do except keep the conversation going.Six-year-old Hind Rajab was trapped under fire in Gaza City and begging for help, hiding inside her uncle’s car, surrounded by the bodies of her relatives. Rana’s voice was her only fragile link with a familiar world. Hind had set off from her home in Gaza City earlier that day with her uncle, aunt and five cousins.It was Monday 29 January. That morning, the Israeli army had told people to evacuate areas in the west of the city and move south along the coast road. Hind’s mother, Wissam, remembers there was intense shelling in their area. “We were terrified, and we wanted to escape,” she said. “We were fleeing from place to place, to avoid the air strikes.”The family decided to head for the Ahli Hospital to the east of the city, hoping it would be a safer place to shelter. Wissam and her older child began making their own way there on foot; Hind was given a place in her uncle’s car, a black Kia Piccanto.”It was very cold and rainy,” Wissam explained. “I told Hind to go in the car because I didn’t want her to suffer in the rain.”As soon as the car left, she said, they heard loud shooting coming from the same direction.As Hind’s uncle drove towards the city’s famous al-Azhar University, the car is thought to have unexpectedly come face to face with Israeli tanks. They pulled into the nearby Fares petrol station for safety, and appear to have come under fire.Inside the vehicle, the family called relatives for help. One of them contacted the emergency headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent, 50 miles (80km) away in the occupied West Bank.It was now around 14:30 (12:30 GMT): operators at the Red Crescent call-centre in Ramallah called the mobile phone number for Hind’s uncle, but his 15-year-old daughter, Layan, answered instead.In the recorded phone call, Layan tells the Red Crescent staff that her parents and siblings have all been killed, and that there is a tank next to the car. “They are firing at us,” she says, before the conversation ends with the sound of gunfire and screaming.When the Red Crescent team ring back, it is Hind who answers, her voice almost inaudible, drowned in fear.It soon becomes clear that she is the only survivor in the car, and that she is still in the line of fire.”Hide under the seats,” the team tell her. “Don’t let anyone see you.”Operator Rana Faqih stayed on the line with Hind for hours, as the Red Crescent appealed to the Israeli army to allow their ambulance to access the location.”She was shaking, sad, appealing for help,” Rana remembered. “She told us [her relatives] were dead. But then later she described them as ‘sleeping’. So we told her ‘let them sleep, we don’t want to bother them’.”Hind kept asking, over and over again, for someone to come and get her.”At one point, she told me it was getting dark,” Rana told the BBC. “She was scared. She asked me how far away my house was. I felt paralysed and helpless.”Three hours after the call began, an ambulance was finally despatched to rescue Hind. In the meantime, the Red Crescent team had reached Hind’s mother, Wissam, and patched her phone line into the call.She cried more when she heard her mother’s voice, Rana remembers.”She pleaded with me not to hang up,” Wissam told the BBC. “I asked her where she was injured, then I distracted her by reading the Quran with her, and we prayed together. She was repeating every word I said after me.”Image caption, Hind’s grandfather, Bahaa Hamada, said Hind spoke of seeing an ambulance in the distanceIt was after dark when the ambulance crew – Yousef and Ahmad – notified operators that they were nearing the location, and were about to be checked for entry by Israeli forces. It was the last operators heard from their colleagues – or from Hind. The line to both paramedics, and to the six-year-old girl they came to rescue, disconnected for good.Hind’s grandfather, Bahaa Hamada, told the BBC that the girl’s connection with her mother lasted a few moments longer, and that the last thing Wissam heard was the sound of the car door being opened, and Hind telling her that she could see the ambulance in the distance. “Every second, my heart burns,” Wissam told the BBC. “Every time I hear the sound of an ambulance, I think, ‘maybe it’s her’. Every sound, every gunshot, every falling missile, every bomb – I wonder if it’s heading for my daughter, if she’s been hit.”Neither Red Crescent teams in Gaza, nor Hind’s family, have been able to reach the location, which still lies inside an active combat zone controlled by the Israeli army.”It’s hard at night,” the call operator Rana said, “when you wake up and hear her voice in your ear, saying ‘come and get me'”.We asked the Israeli army for details of its operations in the area that day, and about the disappearance of Hind and the ambulance sent to retrieve her. We asked again 24 hours later, and they said they were still checking.”Where is the International Court of Justice? Why are presidents sitting in their chairs?” Hind’s mother, Wissam, asked.A week on from her daughter’s disappearance, Wissam sits and waits at the Ahli hospital, day after day, filling the absence with a resolute hope that Hind will be brought back alive.”I’ve brought her things, and I’m waiting for her here,” she said. “I’m waiting for my daughter any moment, any second. I’m begging from a broken mother’s heart not to forget this story.”Related TopicsIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warChildrenGazaMore on this storyThe Gazan children orphaned by warPublished5 days agoWhy are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Published5 days agoTop StoriesLive. Man arrested for allegedly helping Clapham suspect as new details releasedFamily’s anger over conditions killer dogs kept inPublished1 hour agoSnow warning for some as mild conditions to endPublished3 hours agoFeaturesGrammys Awards: The highs, lows and why Swift wonWatch: Celine Dion Grammy surprise and Jay Z backs Beyonce. 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