Israeli military launches criminal investigation into 2024 death of Hind Rajab

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have officially opened a criminal investigation into the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed alongside her family in Gaza in January 2024. The military admitted for the first time that its forces opened fire on the vehicle in which the child was traveling while attempting to flee conflict in Gaza City. This decision follows a review of preliminary findings regarding "unusual incidents" that occurred during the fighting.

On January 29, 2024, Hind Rajab survived the initial attack and maintained phone contact with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for several hours, pleading for assistance. A rescue ambulance dispatched by the organization, which had reportedly coordinated its movement with the Israeli military, was also struck, resulting in the deaths of two paramedics. The communication ended abruptly following renewed gunfire, and the girl's body was discovered in the vehicle days later. The IDF cited alleged failures in coordinating the ambulance's movement as a primary factor in the decision to initiate a formal criminal probe into the circumstances surrounding the event.

This incident drew widespread international condemnation due to the public release of the recorded distress calls made by the child. The case is now subject to scrutiny by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division to determine how civilians and emergency responders were caught in the lethal fire.