Israel’s military has announced a criminal investigation into the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab, more than two years after her death in Gaza.
Rajab was killed on January 29, 2024, after the car carrying her and members of her family came under Israeli fire in Gaza City. She was reportedly trapped in the vehicle surrounded by the bodies of her relatives and remained alive long enough to speak with Palestinian Red Crescent workers by phone while waiting for an ambulance.
According to the report, Israeli forces fired more than 300 bullets at the vehicle. Rajab’s 15-year-old cousin, Layan, was also killed after speaking with emergency workers.
Israel acknowledges firing at the vehicle
The Israeli military previously denied that its soldiers were operating in the area. However, following investigations, including one by Al Jazeera, the military acknowledged that troops had been conducting operations in Gaza City.
In its latest statement, the military said its soldiers “fired at a vehicle that was approaching them”. This represents the first reported Israeli acknowledgment that its forces fired at the car.
The military said the criminal investigation followed a review of findings and allegations concerning failures in coordinating the movement of the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance sent to rescue Rajab.
Family and advocates demand international investigation
Rajab’s grandmother said an Israeli investigation was insufficient and called for an independent international investigation into the deaths of her granddaughter and other Palestinian children killed during the war.
The Hind Rajab Foundation also expressed distrust in the Israeli justice system, pointing to what it described as a history of investigations into alleged misconduct by Israeli forces failing to result in meaningful accountability.
The Israeli military said it had reviewed 150 incidents involving troop conduct during the Gaza war and would open criminal investigations into the Rajab case and the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in March 2025.
However, it said it would not launch criminal investigations into three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
Hind Rajab’s death became internationally known after recordings of her desperate calls for help were circulated widely. A later Al Jazeera investigation concluded that an Israeli tank was likely only 13–23 metres from the vehicle, raising questions about whether the civilians inside could have been seen.
Palestinians in Gaza remain sceptical that the investigation will lead to justice, while Rajab’s family continues to call for accountability beyond Israel’s own military justice system.
