Israeli Army Orders Criminal Probe into Six-Year-Old Hind Rajab's Death
Investigation launched into alleged coordination failures, contrasting with decisions on other aid worker killings in Gaza.
Callum Smith
The Israeli army has ordered a criminal investigation into the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza.
Hind, her relatives, and two medics were found dead 12 days later. The military stated it mistakenly identified several individuals in the vehicles as armed Hamas military operatives; the convoy, it claimed, deviated from its coordinated route.
However, the military concluded that "the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct." The military refused to launch criminal probes into three separate attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
The military declined to launch criminal investigations into these incidents, with the IDF stating it had mistaken several individuals in the World Central Kitchen vehicles for armed Hamas military operatives. The military statement did not mention other high-profile killings the military has pledged to investigate throughout the war, nor did it reference Israeli strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza that killed five journalists in August 2025.
They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened.
Separately, in May 2025, 15 Palestinian paramedics died when Israeli troops opened fire on their vehicles in Rafah; their bodies were subsequently bulldozed. Phone footage and the sole survivor of that incident indicate troops fired on a first ambulance and then on other emergency vehicles that responded.
Jonathan Whittall stated, "'They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened.'" The Israeli military stated it has completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct in Gaza, making decisions on only five cases.
We are not obligated to prove the truth because it is already proven to the whole world. We shouldn't have reached this point if they respected and followed the international humanitarian law.
Eid Azizi stated, "'We are not obligated to prove the truth because it is already proven to the whole world,'" adding, "'We shouldn't have reached this point if they respected and followed the international humanitarian law.'"