Hind Rajab News: A desperate voice from inside a bullet-riddled car became one of the most haunting accounts of the Gaza war. Nearly three years after five-year-old Hind Rajab was trapped inside that vehicle and pleaded with rescuers to save her, the Israeli military has acknowledged for the first time that its troops opened fire on the car.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that it would launch a criminal investigation into the January 2024 incident after a military review found alleged failures in coordinating the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance sent to rescue Hind. The decision marks a major shift from the military’s earlier account, which said its troops were not present in the area when Hind and her relative were killed.
Hind Rajab News: What Happened to Hind Rajab in Gaza?
Hind was travelling with members of her family in Gaza City in January 2024 when their vehicle came under heavy gunfire. Six of her relatives died in the attack, while Hind initially survived and remained trapped inside the damaged car.
She later managed to speak with emergency workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent. During the lengthy telephone call, Hind repeatedly asked rescuers to come and save her.
The call became a key part of the international attention surrounding her death because emergency workers could hear the frightened child describing her situation while she remained surrounded by dead family members.
The Palestinian Red Crescent then attempted to send an ambulance to the location after coordinating the movement with Israeli forces. Two paramedics who went to rescue Hind were also killed.
Hind Rajab News: Israel Changes Earlier Account of Hind Rajab Killing
The latest announcement represents a significant change in the Israeli military’s position.
The IDF had previously said that none of its soldiers was operating near the location where Hind and her family were killed. It later acknowledged that Israeli forces had conducted operations in Gaza City neighbourhoods, including Tel al-Hawa, where Hind was located.
The military has now confirmed that its forces opened fire on the vehicle, although the investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether criminal wrongdoing occurred.
The change has renewed questions about the military’s initial account of the incident and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Hind, her relatives and the two paramedics.
Hind Rajab News: IDF Opens Criminal Investigation
The Israeli military said its decision followed a review by its Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism.
The investigation will focus on alleged failures involving coordination for the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance that attempted to reach Hind.
“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”, it said.
The investigation could now examine how the ambulance movement was coordinated, what Israeli forces knew about Hind’s location and what happened when rescuers attempted to reach the damaged vehicle.
Hind Rajab News: Hind Rajab’s Final Phone Call Became Internationally Known
Hind’s final conversation with Palestinian Red Crescent emergency workers turned her case into an international symbol of the civilian suffering caused by the Gaza war.
During the call, Hind told emergency operators that she was trapped and needed help. The line remained open for hours as the Red Crescent worked to arrange a rescue.
The organisation eventually dispatched two paramedics, Yousef al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, toward her location. They were killed before they could rescue Hind. Their ambulance was later found destroyed near the site.
Hind and her relatives were also found dead after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, according to reports on the case.
Hind Rajab News: Evidence Had Already Challenged Israel’s Earlier Claim
The latest Israeli admission follows years of investigations and scrutiny over what happened to Hind and her family.
Investigations by independent researchers and media organisations previously challenged the claim that Israeli forces were absent from the area. Research cited by The Washington Post found evidence that Israeli armoured forces were operating nearby at the time, while audio from Hind’s call contained gunfire that researchers said was consistent with Israeli weapons.
Forensic Architecture also investigated the attack and reported evidence concerning Israeli military vehicles in the area. Its findings became part of the broader debate over the circumstances surrounding Hind’s death.
Hind Rajab News: The Voice of Hind Rajab Brings Her Story to Cinema
Hind’s story later reached a global audience through the film The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania.
The film used the actual audio from Hind’s final phone conversation with Palestinian Red Crescent emergency workers while dramatising the efforts to reach her.
The movie received an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature Film in 2026, bringing renewed attention to the case and Hind’s final hours. It had earlier won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Hind Rajab News: Israel to Investigate Other Gaza Deaths
The IDF also announced a separate criminal investigation into the deaths of 15 Palestinians, including emergency responders and a UN worker, near Rafah in southern Gaza in March 2025.
The military reviewed several other incidents but said it would not open criminal investigations into three cases.
Those include the 2024 killing of seven World Central Kitchen employees in Deir al-Balah and two separate incidents involving four Médecins Sans Frontières employees.
The decisions have renewed debate over how Israel investigates alleged misconduct by its own forces during military operations in Gaza.
Hind Rajab News: Why the Hind Rajab Investigation Matters?
The criminal probe comes as Israel faces growing international pressure over alleged violations during the Gaza war.
Human rights groups have long questioned whether Israel’s internal military investigations provide sufficient accountability. Critics argue that such investigations rarely result in prosecutions, while Israel maintains that it investigates allegations against its forces and rejects accusations that its military deliberately targets civilians.
Hind’s case has also reached international legal forums. The Hind Rajab Foundation has pursued complaints against Israeli military personnel in several countries and has sought accountability through international legal mechanisms.
The new Israeli investigation does not establish criminal responsibility by itself. Instead, it opens a formal process to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the failed rescue attempt.
Hind Rajab News: What Happens Next?
The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division will now examine the Hind Rajab incident and the alleged coordination failures involving the Red Crescent ambulance.
Investigators will be expected to establish what happened when Israeli forces opened fire on the vehicle, what military units were operating in the area and how the attempted rescue was handled.
For Hind’s family and supporters, the investigation represents a new stage in a case that has remained under international scrutiny since January 2024. For Israel, it will also test the military’s claim that its internal mechanisms can investigate allegations involving its own troops.
