Israeli military probes killings of Hind Rajab and Palestinian paramedics

For more than two years, the memory of five-year-old Hind Rajab has served as a poignant symbol of the hardships endured by children in Gaza. On January 29, 2024, Israeli military forces admitted to firing upon the car carrying the young girl, who tragically lost her life along with her 15-year-old cousin, Layan, while surrounded by relatives.

Initially, Israel denied that its soldiers were present in the vicinity where Hind was killed. However, investigative journalism, including by Al Jazeera, revealed that the army had indeed conducted a raid on "terror targets" in Gaza City on that day. In January 2025, Israeli officials announced they were reviewing the case.

The military explained the recent decision to initiate a criminal investigation into Rajab's death stemmed from a review of "failures in the coordination of the movement of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance". On the fateful evening, Rajab's family had attempted to follow Israeli instructions to depart Gaza City, but Israeli forces opened fire, releasing over 300 bullets into the black Kia driven by her uncle. The ambulance dispatched by Palestinian Red Crescent workers was blocked from reaching the injured girl.

Palestinian paramedics dispatched an ambulance to rescue the sole survivor and remained on the phone until contact was lost. The military claimed troops had "fired at a vehicle that was approaching them." This marks the first time Israel has acknowledged shooting at a car in such circumstances.

However, criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops over the killing of Palestinians seldom result in convictions. Hind's grandmother, also named Hind Rajab, expressed her dissatisfaction with the Israeli investigation, calling for an international probe to uncover the truth and hold all responsible individuals accountable. She emphasized the need for justice, not just for Hind but for all Gaza's children.

Israel's military announced its first criminal probes into troop conduct in Gaza, with this case, along with the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in March 2025, being reviewed. Both incidents garnered international attention. The decision to initiate investigations followed a review of 150 troop conduct incidents during Israel's war on Gaza, though the military declined to launch inquiries into three other attacks that claimed the lives of aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.

Hind Rajab's final words, her desperate phone calls for help, were widely disseminated on social media, prompting international condemnation. A 2024 Al Jazeera docu-drama about the killing of Hind and her family was shortlisted for the 2026 Oscars for Best International Feature Film.