Israel’s military announced on Wednesday that it will conduct internal investigations into the deaths of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in January 2024 and 15 emergency and aid workers in March 2025 in Gaza. Despite this, rights groups expressed skepticism about the likelihood of these inquiries leading to convictions.
The military’s decisions to investigate followed reviews by its Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which concluded investigations into five incidents involving Palestinian fatalities. Notably, the examination of the killings of seven aid workers affiliated with the World Central Kitchen charity in April 2024 did not find sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation.
Stating the complexities of their operational reality, the Israeli military emphasized that they adhere to international and domestic laws by scrutinizing exceptional incidents during combat operations. The deaths of Hind Rajab in February 2024 and the 15 Palestinian medics in May 2025 garnered global attention.
Israeli human rights organizations highlighted the low conviction rates in cases involving misconduct by Israeli troops against Palestinians. Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group, criticized the lack of accountability, citing minimal indictments and lenient sentences for convictions.
Hind Rajab’s grandmother, also named Hind Rajab, expressed dismay at the announcement of investigations, voicing distrust in Israel’s ability to conduct a fair inquiry. She urged other countries to investigate the circumstances surrounding her granddaughter’s death and the treatment of children in Gaza.
UNICEF reported in October that over 64,000 Palestinian children had been killed or injured since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. A United Nations Human Rights Council report in June accused Israeli security forces of intentionally targeting and killing Palestinian children in Gaza, a claim Israel dismissed as propaganda.
During the Israeli offensive following a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, Hind Rajab was trapped in a car, pleading with Palestinian medics for help via phone while her family members lay dead. The subsequent recovery of her body and relatives, along with two ambulance workers, sparked international outrage and led to the production of a film that received accolades.
In March 2025, the bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers were found buried in the sand in southern Gaza, prompting calls for answers and justice from UN officials. The Red Crescent workers were allegedly killed by Israeli forces while engaged in life-saving efforts, a claim Israel did not directly address initially. The Red Crescent emphasized the protection of its staff under international humanitarian laws.
The importance of prevention and protection for humanitarian workers was stressed by Eid Aziz, the media director for the Red Crescent, underscoring the need for safeguarding medical personnel carrying out their duties amidst conflict situations.