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. However, human rights organizations noted that such inquiries typically do not result in convictions.
The military’s decision to investigate followed assessments by its Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which reviewed five incidents involving Palestinian fatalities. One of these incidents involved the deaths of seven aid workers affiliated with the World Central Kitchen charity in April 2024. The military stated that there was no substantial evidence of criminal misconduct warranting a criminal investigation in that case.
Stating that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been involved in extensive combat operations across various fronts for over a thousand days, the Israeli military emphasized its commitment to examining exceptional incidents in compliance with international and domestic laws.
The killings of Hind Rajab in February 2024 and the 15 Palestinian medics in May 2025 garnered significant international attention. Nonetheless, Israeli rights groups highlighted the low rate of convictions resulting from criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli soldiers concerning Palestinian deaths.
In response to the announcement, Hind Rajab’s grandmother expressed disbelief, stating that the family lacks confidence in Israel’s ability to conduct a fair investigation. She called for other countries to investigate her granddaughter’s death and the treatment of children in Gaza, asserting that accountability is crucial for the protection of innocent lives.
Recent reports from UNICEF indicated that since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, at least 64,000 Palestinian children have been killed or injured. Meanwhile, a United Nations Human Rights Council report in June accused Israeli security forces of intentionally targeting and killing Palestinian children in Gaza, an allegation that Israel rejected as propaganda.
The tragic incident involving Hind Rajab saw her pleading for help while trapped in a car during an Israeli offensive following a Hamas-led attack in October 2023. The subsequent discovery of her body, along with her deceased relatives and rescue workers, sparked global outrage and led to the production of a film that received critical acclaim.
In March 2025, the bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers, including those from the Red Crescent, Palestinian Civil Defense, and the United Nations, were found buried in the sand in southern Gaza. UN officials demanded answers and justice for the workers, alleging that they were killed by Israeli forces while carrying out their humanitarian duties.
While Israeli forces denied intentionally targeting civilians, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher condemned the incident, emphasizing the need for accountability and protection for medical personnel under international laws. The Red Crescent also stressed the importance of preventing such tragedies in the future.
The Israeli military did not provide immediate comments on the deaths of the Red Crescent workers but later facilitated the retrieval of the bodies from an active combat zone. Questions remained unanswered regarding the circumstances surrounding the workers’ deaths and the condition of the vehicles found at the scene.