The Israeli military has, for the first time, acknowledged that its soldiers opened fire on the vehicle carrying five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed alongside six members of her family in Gaza in 2024.
The admission comes more than two years after the incident and follows international scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Hind initially survived the attack and managed to speak to emergency operators by telephone while trapped inside the damaged vehicle. During the lengthy call, she repeatedly pleaded for help as she described the presence of Israeli military vehicles nearby.
An ambulance was later dispatched to rescue her after its movement was coordinated with Israeli authorities. However, the ambulance came under fire, killing two Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics who had gone to the scene.
Hind and the bodies of her relatives were recovered several days later.
Israeli Military Announces Criminal Investigation
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said it had decided to launch a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Hind’s death and the deaths of 15 Palestinians, including medical workers and a United Nations employee, in a separate incident in March 2025.
The military said its latest examination indicated that Israeli troops had fired at the vehicle carrying Hind and her relatives.
The IDF attributed the decision to investigate the incident to what it described as alleged failures involving coordination of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance’s movement.
The military also said the vehicle had been travelling in a manner that contradicted an earlier notice issued to residents in the area.
Earlier Israeli Account Questioned
The latest admission differs from the IDF’s initial account of the incident.
At the time, the Israeli military said its forces were not operating in the vicinity when Hind was killed. That claim was subsequently challenged as questions emerged over the circumstances of the shooting.
The IDF later acknowledged that its forces had conducted operations against what it described as militant targets in parts of Gaza City, including the Tel al-Hawa area where Hind was located.
Desperate Plea for Rescue
Hind’s final telephone conversation with Palestinian Red Crescent operators became one of the most widely circulated accounts of the humanitarian toll of the Gaza conflict.
During the call, the frightened child told the emergency operators that Israeli tanks were near the vehicle and repeatedly asked to be rescued.
Red Crescent operator Rana Faqih remained on the phone with Hind for hours while the organisation sought permission for an ambulance to reach the location.
Faqih later recalled how Hind became increasingly frightened as darkness approached.
The emergency team eventually received clearance to send an ambulance into the area, but the rescuers were killed before they could reach Hind.
The Israeli military’s decision to open a criminal investigation is expected to renew international attention on the circumstances surrounding Hind Rajab’s death and the broader issue of civilian protection during military operations in Gaza.
