Israel’s military announced on Wednesday its intention to launch internal investigations into the killings of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in January 2024 and 15 emergency and aid workers in March 2025 in Gaza. However, human rights organizations expressed skepticism, noting that such investigations rarely result in convictions.
The military’s decision to investigate was based on findings from its Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which reviewed five incidents involving Palestinian fatalities. Among these cases was the examination of the deaths of seven aid workers affiliated with the World Central Kitchen charity in April 2024. The military concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation in that particular instance.
Highlighting the challenging operational environment faced by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the military emphasized its commitment to reviewing exceptional incidents that occur during combat, citing obligations under international and domestic laws.
International attention was drawn to the killings of both Hind Rajab in February 2024 and the 15 Palestinian medics in May 2025. Israeli rights groups criticized the low rate of indictments and convictions in cases involving alleged misconduct by Israeli soldiers, pointing to what they perceive as lenient sentences for convictions.
Following the announcement, Rajab’s grandmother expressed disbelief and lack of faith in Israel’s investigative process, calling for external scrutiny into the incidents in Gaza involving her granddaughter and other children. She demanded accountability for the killing of Hind and emphasized the rights of all children in Gaza.
Reports from UNICEF last October indicated that over 64,000 Palestinian children had suffered injuries or fatalities since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. In June, a United Nations Human Rights Council report accused Israeli security forces of deliberately targeting and killing Palestinian children, a claim that Israel vehemently denied as propaganda.
During the conflict triggered by a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, Hind Rajab was trapped in a car for hours, pleading for help via mobile phone as her family members succumbed to the violence. Subsequently, her body, along with her relatives and two ambulance workers, was discovered after a distressing ordeal.
A documentary depicting Hind Rajab’s tragedy garnered international acclaim, winning the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival and receiving an Academy Award nomination.
In March 2025, the recovery of 15 emergency and aid workers from grave sites in the southern Gaza Strip prompted UN officials to demand answers and justice for their deaths allegedly caused by Israeli forces. While Israeli authorities denied targeting civilians intentionally, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher underscored the need for accountability and protection for humanitarian workers.
The Red Crescent echoed calls for safeguarding medical personnel and upholding international laws protecting their emblem, emphasizing the importance of prevention rather than post-incident investigations.