Israeli military launches criminal probes into killings of Hind Rajab and Palestinian paramedics

Israel's military has initiated its first criminal investigations into troop actions in Gaza, specifically targeting the deaths of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, as well as 15 Palestinian paramedics. The inquiries come after the military completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct in the region. The five cases have drawn significant international condemnation.

Hind Rajab was trapped in a vehicle with her slain relatives, desperately pleading for help by phone before ultimately dying in February 2024. In March 2025, 15 medics were killed when troops bulldozed their bodies into a mass grave after shooting at ambulances providing aid. The Israeli military maintains that its troops are held accountable through the country's justice system, yet rights groups argue that soldiers rarely face consequences for their actions.

The military's statement did not address numerous other high-profile killings, including the August 2025 strike on a hospital in southern Gaza that claimed the lives of five journalists. Hind's grandmother, also named Hind Rajab, called for an international investigation to uncover the truth and ensure justice for all children in Gaza. The military's investigations have been criticized as a "charade meant to whitewash the culprits instead of convicting them" by Dyab Abou Jahjah, director of the Hind Rajab foundation.