Key facts
- The Israeli military admitted its troops fired on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members.
- The Israeli army has ordered a criminal investigation into the killing of Hind Rajab.
- Hind Rajab's grandmother rejected the Israeli military probe.
- Hind Rajab's grandmother demanded an independent international investigation.
The Israeli military has admitted that its troops opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza, leading to their deaths. The incident, which occurred in early 2024, is one of the most high-profile cases of civilian casualties during Israel's war on Gaza and has drawn international outrage. Hind died after a desperate three-hour phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent on January 29, 2024, pleading for rescue after the family's car was hit while attempting to flee an Israeli offensive into Gaza City. All passengers in the car were killed, and their bodies were retrieved 12 days later. The Israeli army has ordered a criminal investigation into the incident, as well as into the deaths of 15 aid workers. However, Hind Rajab's grandmother has rejected the Israeli military's probe, demanding an independent international investigation instead. Media investigations and other findings suggested that nearby Israeli tanks were responsible for the attack, contradicting earlier denials by the Israel Defense Forces that their troops were in the area. A UN report in February described a 'pervasive climate of impunity' by Israel in occupied Palestine, and a UN commission in September last year found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.