BBC News Arabic
·Aug 2026
Hind Rajab: Israeli army confirms soldiers fired on the girl’s car and opens a criminal investigation
The Israeli army has acknowledged for the first time that its forces fired on the vehicle carrying five-year-old Palestinian Hind Rajab, who was later found dead with relatives in Gaza, and announced a criminal investigation into the incident. Hind had survived the initial attack and spent hours pleading for help by phone before two Palestinian Red Crescent medics sent to rescue her were also killed when their ambulance came under fire. The army will additionally investigate the March 2025 deaths of 15 Palestinians, including medics and a UN worker, after retracting its initial claim that the emergency convoy had been travelling without lights. It declined to open criminal investigations into several other incidents, including the deaths of World Central Kitchen and Médecins Sans Frontières staff. The announcements come amid international war-crimes allegations and pressure on Israel to demonstrate credible domestic accountability, while Israeli rights groups argue that military investigations rarely lead to convictions or meaningful penalties.