Olive tree in the courtyard of the Human Rights Center: a symbol of memory and resilience

On March 31, 2025, an olive tree was planted in the courtyard of the Human Rights Center at the University of Padua in memory of Hind Rajab (2018-2024) and the more than 15,000 girls and boys killed in Gaza by the Israeli army. The initiative, organized by Un Ponte Per together with C.A.U. students, aimed to pay tribute to all the young broken lives whose stories are often unknown.

Hind Rajab has become a universal symbol of this tragedy. Her voice, which remained for hours on the phone with a Palestinian Red Crescent worker as she asked for help, was heard and reported around the world. Her death, which occurred under a hail of 335 bullets, has impressed and affected millions, underlining the brutality of war and the innocence of those who suffer it.

Planting an olive tree means leaving a sign of remembrance and resistance, as Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer wrote: “If I must die, then let it bring hope, let my end be a tale”.