The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have, for the first time, acknowledged that their soldiers opened fire on the car of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl, and her family members in the Gaza Strip in 2024, causing all occupants to be killed. The military has launched a criminal investigation into the incident after previously denying that any Israeli forces were present in that area. However, human rights groups and the victims' families say Israel's internal probes rarely lead to accountability for those responsible.
On Wednesday, the IDF admitted that its soldiers fired on the vehicle carrying 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab and her family in Gaza in 2024 and announced the opening of a criminal investigation. This follows earlier denials by the military that Israeli troops were in the vicinity at the time.
Hind died after being trapped inside the car for several hours amid the bodies of her family members who had already been shot dead. During that time, she was able to contact Palestinian medical personnel by phone, desperately pleading for help.
The incident became one of the most internationally noted civilian deaths in the Gaza war, with Hind becoming a symbol of the suffering endured by Palestinian children during the conflict.
The event occurred on 29 January 2024 after Hind's family was forced to leave their neighborhood in Gaza City, attempting to comply with orders from the Israeli military. However, their vehicle was shot at en route, killing several family members, while Hind remained trapped inside and was the sole survivor at that moment.
Earlier, Hind managed to speak by phone with officials from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to request assistance. The organization dispatched an ambulance to aid her, but after the ambulance arrived, contact was lost with both Hind and the rescue workers. Twelve days later, authorities found the bodies of Hind, her family members, and two ambulance personnel at the scene.
The IDF stated that an internal investigation conducted over several months found that soldiers fired on Hind’s vehicle as it approached their position. This marks the first time the Israeli military has admitted that its forces shot at the car. The military also reported that shots were later fired at the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance dispatched to rescue the girl.
The IDF said that after reviewing the investigation results and allegations of failures in coordinating ambulance movements, it ordered a criminal investigation into the incident. However, the military did not specify whether the probe would lead to charges against any particular soldier.
The decision to open an investigation has drawn close attention, as human rights groups note that very few criminal probes of Israeli soldiers involved in Palestinian deaths over recent years have resulted in charges or punishments.
Dan Owen, a researcher with the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, stated that in the past decade, only a "very small fraction" of investigations have led to indictments. He warned that increasing political pressure further discourages Israeli law enforcement agencies from prosecuting those responsible, even when evidence is clear.
Hind’s grandmother said the family does not trust Israel’s justice system and calls for an investigation by international legal authorities. "We hope justice will come from the whole world. We urge the international justice system to intervene," she said.
The family is also demanding an international investigation not only into Hind’s case but also concerning the deaths of thousands of children in the Gaza Strip throughout the war.
Audio recordings of Hind’s phone calls pleading for help have been widely circulated globally, sparking widespread condemnation. Previous media investigations revealed that Israeli tanks were reportedly between 13 and 23 meters from Hind’s vehicle during the attack, raising questions about whether soldiers could see civilians inside the car.
Hind’s story was adapted into the film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," which won awards at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for the 2026 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
The IDF also announced it is conducting a separate criminal investigation into the deaths of 15 rescue and aid workers in March 2025, another incident that attracted significant international attention.
This decision followed a military review of approximately 150 operational cases involving soldiers during the Gaza war. However, the IDF stated it would not open criminal investigations into three other attacks, including those resulting in the deaths of aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) and Médecins Sans Frontières.
WCK issued a statement condemning the military’s decision, calling it inconsistent with the full facts and deeply offensive. The organization emphasized that its Gaza personnel were unarmed civilians and that the Israeli military had been clearly informed of their team’s coordinates.
In April 2024, seven international aid workers and one Palestinian driver affiliated with WCK were killed in three Israeli airstrikes, despite traveling in clearly marked vehicles and having provided their locations to the IDF.
The Israeli military maintains that its operations target Hamas and other armed groups, but the high number of civilian casualties continues to draw widespread international criticism.
The Gaza war, which erupted after Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, has resulted in over 73,000 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza’s health authorities, including many children, health workers, aid personnel, and journalists.
Although a ceasefire was declared in Gaza in October last year, intermittent attacks have continued. Israel justifies these as preventive measures against potential attacks by Hamas and other armed factions.
Since the ceasefire, more than 1,200 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have died, according to Gaza’s health authorities and the Israeli military.
The IDF’s first admission that its soldiers shot at Hind Rajab’s car and the initiation of a criminal investigation marks a significant shift from its earlier denial of troop presence at the scene. However, for Hind’s family and human rights groups, the key question remains whether this investigation will lead to criminal charges and accountability for those involved.
. . .Reuters / Al Jazeera