Israel army admits fire on Hind Rajab car, orders probe
The Israeli military has acknowledged that its troops fired on a vehicle carrying Hind Rajab during the war in Gaza in 2024.
Hind was five years old when she became trapped in a car with members of her family while trying to flee Gaza City.
Her death caused international outrage after she made a desperate emergency call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
The Israeli military had previously denied that its troops were present near the location where the incident took place.
The military now says a review of the incident led to a decision to launch a criminal investigation.
Hind Rajab trapped in car during Gaza attack
Hind Rajab was travelling with members of her family when their car came under fire during an Israeli military advance in Gaza City.
She survived the initial shooting and later made a lengthy emergency call to the Palestine Red Crescent, asking for help.
The call took place on January 29, 2024, and became a key part of international attention surrounding her death.
Hind was eventually found dead inside the vehicle, which had been heavily damaged by gunfire.
Six of her relatives were also killed in the incident.
Two Palestine Red Crescent rescuers who were sent to search for Hind were later found dead near the vehicle.
Their deaths added to international calls for an independent investigation into what happened.
The recordings of Hind’s emergency call later became part of the Oscar-nominated film “The Voice of Hind Rajab”.
Israeli military acknowledges firing at vehicle
In its latest statement, the Israeli military said its review found that troops had fired at a vehicle approaching them.
The military said the vehicle was travelling in a direction that was contrary to advance instructions reportedly given to residents in the area.
According to the military, the initial shooting killed five people inside the vehicle.
It said Hind Rajab and her cousin Layan Hamada survived the first exchange of fire.
The military said the movement of a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance was then coordinated to evacuate those injured in the incident.
However, it said a shell was fired toward the ambulance when it arrived at the location.
The military said the attack killed the two paramedics travelling in the ambulance.
It has now ordered a criminal investigation by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.
Probe faces criticism from Hind Rajab Foundation
The Hind Rajab Foundation, a Brussels-based legal organisation that seeks accountability for alleged Israeli violations in Gaza, criticised the announcement.
The organisation said it had “no confidence” in the Israeli military investigation.
It warned that the announced probe should not automatically be viewed as a genuine move towards justice.
The criticism reflects broader concerns raised by rights groups over investigations into alleged misconduct by Israeli forces during the Gaza war.
The Israeli military, however, said it investigates allegations of misconduct, including those arising during the ongoing conflict.
Other Gaza incidents also reviewed
The Israeli military said it had also reviewed several other high-profile incidents involving Palestinians and humanitarian workers.
It said criminal investigations would not be opened into three incidents involving the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen employees and four Doctors Without Borders workers.
The World Central Kitchen staff were killed in Gaza in an incident that attracted international condemnation.
The organisation’s founder, Jose Andres, criticised the decision not to launch a criminal investigation.
He described the decision as “wrong and is painful for all of us. There was no excuse for their attacks on our team.”
World Central Kitchen also called the decision “inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive” and demanded an independent commission.
The decision has renewed debate over whether military investigations are sufficient when civilians and humanitarian workers are killed.
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Probe ordered into deaths of 15 Palestinian medics
The Israeli military also announced a criminal investigation into another major incident in southern Gaza.
The probe concerns the deaths of 15 Palestinian medics and humanitarian personnel in March 2025.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, first responders were killed by Israeli forces on March 23, 2025.
Other emergency and aid teams were reportedly attacked over several hours while searching for missing colleagues.
Those killed included eight Palestine Red Crescent workers, six members of Gaza’s civil defence agency and one employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The bodies were later discovered in a mass grave near Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
The Israeli military said 15 Palestinians were killed in the incident and claimed that six of those killed had been identified as members of Hamas.
It also said troops later decided to “crush the vehicles and to cover the bodies with metal mesh”.
Calls for accountability continue
The incident involving Hind Rajab has remained one of the most widely discussed cases involving children and civilians during the Gaza war.
Her emergency call drew attention to the dangers faced by civilians attempting to escape fighting.
The Israeli military’s latest admission is significant because it differs from its earlier position that its forces were not present in the area.
However, the announcement of a criminal investigation has not ended calls for an independent inquiry.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk previously said the deaths of the Palestinian medics and humanitarian workers could amount to potential war crimes.
The latest developments are likely to keep attention focused on how alleged violations involving civilians and aid workers are investigated.
