The Israeli military has confirmed for the first time that its troops fired at the vehicle carrying five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed along with six relatives in Gaza in 2024.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has decided to open a criminal investigation into the incident, including the deaths of two Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) paramedics who were sent to rescue Hind.
According to the IDF, an examination found that Israeli troops fired at a vehicle which it said was travelling contrary to an advance notice issued to residents of the area.
“Due to alleged failures in the co-ordination of the movement of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance, it has been decided to initiate a criminal investigation of the incident by Military Police Criminal Investigation Division,” the IDF said, according to the BBC.
Hind initially survived the attack on the vehicle and remained on the phone with Palestinian Red Crescent operators for hours, pleading to be rescued.
An ambulance carrying paramedics Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun was later dispatched to reach her after coordination with the Israeli military. The PRCS said the ambulance was subsequently struck and both paramedics were killed.
Hind’s body and those of her relatives were recovered days later.
The Israeli military had initially said none of its troops were in the area when Hind was killed, a claim that was subsequently questioned.
The IDF also announced a criminal investigation into the killing of 15 Palestinians, including emergency workers and a UN employee, in Rafah in March 2025, saying the firing in that incident raised reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.
Hind’s killing drew international condemnation after recordings of her desperate calls for help were heard around the world. Her story was later portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film “The Voice of Hind Rajab.”
The Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation said it had “no confidence” in the Israeli military’s investigation and called into question the credibility of Israel’s internal accountability mechanisms.
The IDF said it examines exceptional incidents arising during combat as part of its obligations under Israeli and international law. (Newswire)