The Israeli military announced it would launch criminal investigations into two significant incidents in Gaza, marking a departure from previous denials of involvement in one of the cases. The first probe concerns the January 2024 killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab, her five relatives, and two Palestinian Red Crescent medics. The military for the first time admitted its forces fired on the vehicle carrying the Rajab family, despite earlier claims that its troops were not in the vicinity or within firing range.
The second criminal investigation focuses on the killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics in May 2025. Israeli troops reportedly opened fire on their vehicles in Rafah, then bulldozed the bodies and vehicles into a mass grave. The military initially claimed the vehicles were "advancing suspiciously" without lights, but later retracted this after footage showed the emergency vehicles with flashing lights and visible logos. The military stated that a deputy commander was directed to step down in relation to this incident.
However, the military decided against launching criminal investigations into three other high-profile attacks that resulted in the deaths of aid workers, specifically those from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders. The announcement follows reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct in Gaza. Hind Rajab's mother, Wesam Hamada, described the investigation as a "long-overdue step," but emphasized that "justice has not yet begun," calling for a more thorough process. Similarly, Rajab's grandmother and international experts from the U.N. Human Rights Council have called for an international probe, suggesting Rajab's killing might constitute a war crime.
