The Israeli military has ordered a criminal investigation into the murder in Gaza of five-year-old Hind Rajab, whose death was internationally condemned after a desperate recording of her speaking to paramedics was broadcast around the world. The Palestinian girl was one of seven family members traveling in a vehicle that was attacked by Israel in Gaza City in January 2024. She initially survived the attack that killed several family members, but her body was recovered days later along with her relatives and two paramedics who had tried to save her in an ambulance. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that “after a review of the findings” and “due to alleged failures in the coordination of the movement of the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance, it has been decided to launch a criminal investigation into the incident by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Military Police. “This is the first time that the IDF has admitted to opening fire on the vehicle carrying Hind and his family. Previously, the IDF said its initial investigation suggested that there were no Israeli troops in the area at the time of the incident. Hind Rajab’s car was hit by Israeli fire as she and her family tried to flee shelling during the war in Gaza. Several family members were killed, but Hind managed to answer an hours-long call from Palestinian Red Crescent Society helpers. Her pleas for someone to rescue her ended when the phone line went dead amid the sound of more gunshots. The ambulance trying to reach her was also bombed, and the bodies of Hind, her family and ambulance staff were later found.
