The Israeli military has confirmed that its troops fired at a vehicle carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed in Gaza in 2024, and announced a criminal investigation into the incident and the subsequent deaths of two paramedics.
The Israel Defense Forces has acknowledged for the first time that its soldiers fired on the car in which five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab was travelling, resulting in her death along with six family members. The military stated it has initiated a criminal investigation through its Military Police Criminal Investigation Division into the shooting, citing alleged failures in coordinating the movement of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance.
According to the IDF, troops fired at the vehicle because it was moving contrary to an advance notice distributed to residents in the area. The military had previously stated that none of its forces were present when Hind was killed—a position that was later disputed. Following the initial strike, Hind remained alive and communicated with Palestinian Red Crescent operators for several hours, requesting rescue assistance.
An ambulance dispatched to retrieve the child was subsequently struck, killing paramedics Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, whose deaths are also included in the investigation. The bodies of Hind and her relatives were recovered days later. The IDF separately announced a criminal investigation into a separate incident in Rafah in March 2025 that resulted in the deaths of 15 Palestinians, including emergency workers and a UN employee.
Hind's case drew significant international attention after recordings of her emergency calls were widely circulated. The incident was later depicted in an Oscar-nominated documentary film. However, the Hind Rajab Foundation has stated it holds "no confidence" in the Israeli military's investigation and has questioned the credibility of Israel's internal accountability mechanisms.
