More than two years after five-year-old Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza, the Israeli military has announced the launch of a criminal investigation into her death. The young girl became a global symbol of the suffering endured by children during the conflict, and this new probe marks a significant development after years of accusations regarding the military’s conduct.
Initial statements from Israeli authorities denied that their soldiers were present in the area where the incident occurred. However, following independent journalistic investigations—including findings by —the military later stated that it had been conducting operations against “terror targets” in Gaza City on that day. By January of this year, officials confirmed they were reviewing the case, and on Wednesday, the military officially announced a criminal investigation, citing “alleged failures in the coordination of the movement of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance” as a primary factor.
The incident occurred on January 29, 2024, at approximately 7:30 pm. Rajab was trapped in a vehicle surrounded by the bodies of her relatives after they were forcibly displaced from Gaza City. While attempting to follow evacuation orders, the family’s black Kia was struck by more than 300 bullets. Rajab’s 15-year-old cousin, Layan, was also in the vehicle and managed to contact Palestine Red Crescent workers by phone before being killed. Paramedics later attempted to reach the child, who remained the sole survivor, but they were blocked by Israeli forces.
For the first time, the military has admitted that its troops “fired at a vehicle that was approaching them.” Despite this admission, skepticism remains high regarding the potential for accountability. Dyab Abou JahJah, president of the Hind Rajab Foundation, expressed deep distrust in the Israeli justice system, noting that it has historically been complicit in such actions. He emphasized that their lack of confidence is based on a long track record of impunity rather than ideological bias.
The victim’s grandmother, also named Hind Rajab, has publicly rejected the military’s internal probe as insufficient. She is calling for an international investigation to uncover the full truth and ensure that those responsible for the deaths of her granddaughter and thousands of other children in Gaza are held accountable. She stated, “We call for justice, not only for Hind, but for all Gaza children.”
This investigation is part of a broader review of 150 incidents of troop conduct during the war. The military also announced it would review the March 2025 killing of 15 Palestinian medics. However, the military clarified that it would not be launching criminal investigations into three other high-profile attacks that resulted in the deaths of aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
Evidence from a 2024 investigation suggested that an Israeli tank was likely positioned between 13 and 23 metres (43 to 75 feet) from the car, implying that the civilians inside would have been clearly visible. The tragedy, marked by Rajab’s final, desperate pleas for help recorded over the phone, has since been memorialized in a docu-drama that received an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film in 2026.
Reporting from Gaza, Hani Mahmoud noted that the announcement has been met with widespread doubt among Palestinians, many of whom believe the investigation is unlikely to deliver genuine justice for the family.