GAZA: The Israeli military has acknowledged for the first time that its troops opened fire on a vehicle carrying five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed along with six members of her family in Gaza in 2024.
Hind initially survived the attack and remained trapped inside the vehicle. During the incident, she answered a telephone call and made an emotional plea for help. Her conversation with rescuers continued for several hours as efforts were made to reach her.
An ambulance was later dispatched to rescue the child after coordination with the Israeli military. However, the ambulance came under fire, killing two Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics who were attempting to reach Hind.
Hind’s body was recovered several days later along with the bodies of the other family members who had been killed in the attack. The case subsequently attracted widespread international attention and condemnation.
In its latest statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it would launch a criminal investigation into the deaths of Hind and her relatives. The investigation will also examine the deaths of 15 Palestinians, including medical workers and a United Nations employee, who were killed in a separate incident in March 2025.
Regarding Hind’s case, the IDF said the decision to investigate followed what it described as alleged failures in coordinating the movement of a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance.
The Israeli military said its examination indicated that IDF troops fired at the vehicle carrying Hind and her relatives. According to the military, the vehicle was travelling in a manner that allegedly contradicted an advance notice issued by the IDF spokesperson to residents in the area.
The latest acknowledgment marks a significant change from the Israeli military’s earlier position. Following Hind’s death, the IDF initially said that none of its troops had been operating in the area at the time of the incident.
That claim was subsequently questioned as details of the attack and Hind’s desperate telephone call emerged. The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Hind, her relatives and the paramedics who attempted to rescue her became the subject of international scrutiny.
The case has remained one of the most widely cited incidents involving Palestinian children and emergency medical workers during the Gaza conflict. Humanitarian organisations and rights advocates have repeatedly called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The IDF said the new criminal investigation will be conducted by its Military Police Criminal Investigation Division. The military said the investigation would examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether criminal wrongdoing occurred.
The announcement comes amid continued international concern over civilian deaths and the protection of medical personnel in Gaza. The case has also renewed questions about military rules of engagement, evacuation notices and coordination between armed forces and humanitarian organisations during military operations.
Hind’s death drew particular attention because of the recorded telephone conversation in which the young girl sought help while trapped in the damaged vehicle. Her account of the attack and the subsequent deaths of the rescuers became a symbol of the dangers faced by civilians and emergency workers in Gaza.
The Israeli military’s acknowledgment that its troops fired on the vehicle is therefore a major development in a case that has remained under scrutiny since 2024. The outcome of the criminal investigation is expected to determine the circumstances of the shooting and whether any military personnel should face disciplinary or criminal action.
