Israel to Investigate Killings of Palestinian Girl Hind Rajab and Gaza Aid Workers

Israel's military announced Wednesday it will open internal criminal investigations into the deaths of a Palestinian girl and numerous emergency workers in Gaza. The probes will cover the January 2024 killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab and the March 2025 deaths of 15 emergency and aid workers.

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no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation.

The military stated these decisions followed inquiries by its Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which reviewed five incidents involving Palestinian deaths. Among these was an examination of the April 2024 killings of seven World Central Kitchen charity workers. However, regarding that specific incident, the military concluded there was “no reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation.”

In a statement, the Israeli military cited the ongoing combat across numerous fronts and the exceptionally complex operational reality. It affirmed that as part of its obligations under international and domestic law, the IDF examines exceptional incidents that occur during combat.

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For more than a thousand days, the IDF has been conducting intensive combat across numerous fronts, carrying out a wide range of military missions in an exceptionally complex operational reality.

Relatives found Hind Rajab's body, along with those of five family members and two ambulance workers, after she had reportedly pleaded for help by telephone. She was trapped in a car targeted by Israeli military fire. The military's announcement comes after significant international scrutiny over civilian casualties in Gaza.

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As part of the IDF’s obligations under international law and Israeli domestic law, the IDF examines exceptional incidents that occurred during combat.