Hind Rajab killing: IDF fired on 5-year-old’s car in Gaza, Israel admits for first time, orders probe
Hind Rajab's body was recovered from a car riddled with bullets in Gaza City days after she was last heard from in a desperate, hours-long phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent on January 29, 2024. The Israeli military had previously denied its troops were present in the area near the incident
The Israeli military on 19 August admitted for the first time that its troops fired on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza in 2024. The military said that it had ordered a criminal investigation into the killing of the girl which had drawn international outrage, news agency AFP said.
Hind Rajab's body was recovered from a car riddled with bullets in Gaza City days after she was last heard from in a desperate, hours-long phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent on January 29, 2024.
“The findings of the examination indicate that IDF troops fired at a vehicle that was approaching them,” the IDF said in a statement quoted by CNN.
The Israeli military had previously denied its troops were present in the area near the incident. "Following review of the findings and due to alleged failures in the coordination of the movement of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance, it has been decided to initiate a criminal investigation of the incident by Military Police Criminal Investigation Division," the military said on Wednesday, according to the AFP.
The Israeli military said its findings indicated troops had "fired at a vehicle that was approaching them while travelling contrary to the advance notice" that had been given to residents in the area.
"As a result of the fire, five of the vehicle's passengers were killed, and two survived: Hind Rajab and her cousin Layan Hamada," it said.
The military said that following a call to rescue authorities in which the girls participated, the movement of a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance had been coordinated in order to evacuate the casualties.
"However, according to the allegations raised, upon the ambulance's arrival at the scene of the incident, a shell was fired toward it, resulting in the deaths of the two paramedics travelling in it," it added.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, a Brussels-based legal organisation seeking to address alleged Israeli violations in Gaza, said it had "no confidence" in the move by the Israeli military.
"These reported investigations, even if they do occur, should not be mistaken for a genuine step toward justice," it said in a statement, adding that Israel's internal investigations were "fundamentally flawed and cannot be regarded as credible mechanisms of accountability".
Who was Hind Rajab?
Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl from Gaza whose death in January 2024 drew global outrage. She was one of seven family members traveling in a vehicle in northern Gaza on when they came under Israeli fire.
Rajab survived the initial fire and pleaded on the phone for hours with Palestinian paramedics to come rescue her. Afterwards, an ambulance dispatched to save her also came under fire.
Trapped and surrounded by the dead, she spent hours on a harrowing phone call pleading for rescue from the Palestinian Red Crescent before communications cut out.
Twelve days later. Rajab's body was eventually recovered along with those of six relatives and two Red Crescent rescue workers sent to find her. Her death sparked international outrage and calls for an independent investigation.
An original audio recordings of her emergency call were later incorporated into the Oscar-nominated feature docudrama ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ directed by Kaouther Ben Hania.
The film was premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2025 and received a 23-minute standing ovation—the longest of this year’s edition—leaving audience members in tears.
The film was released in Indian cinemas on June 19, 2026 after eceived its theatrical clearance with an 'A' certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after initial delays
Other investigation
The case is one of two-high profile incidents into which the military has opened criminal investigations. Alongside the Hind Rajab case, the military published reviews into four other high-profile incidents in Gaza, saying it was also launching a criminal probe into the 2025 killings of 15 Palestinians including medics and humanitarian personnel.
This incident also drew international condemnation.
(With AFP inputs)
- The Israeli military acknowledges involvement in the tragic killing of a young girl, spurring calls for accountability.
- Public outrage has persisted, emphasizing the need for independent investigations into military actions.
- The case highlights ongoing tensions and human rights concerns in conflict zones.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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