Israel’s military announced plans to initiate criminal investigations into two notable attacks on Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. These investigations pertain to the deaths of 6-year-old Hind Rajab and several of her family members, along with the killings of 15 Palestinian paramedics. However, the military will not investigate three other attacks involving aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
A statement from the military detailed completed reviews of 150 troop conduct incidents in Gaza, with decisions made on five specific cases. Despite the ongoing attention on certain high-profile incidents, the statement lacked mention of other promised investigations, such as the attack on a hospital in southern Gaza that resulted in the death of five journalists in August 2025.
International attention has focused on the February 2024 death of Hind Rajab and her family. The attack occurred as they attempted to escape Gaza City during Israeli hostilities. Israeli forces fired on their vehicle, killing nearly all occupants. Layan Hamada, Hind’s cousin, had contacted the Palestinian Red Crescent to report the advancing Israeli tank. Tragically, rescuers lost contact with the group, discovering their bodies, including Hind’s, 12 days later.
The incident concerning the paramedics unfolded in May 2025. Israeli troops targeted vehicles in Rafah, suspecting them of suspicious activity. Despite initial military claims, verified phone footage confirmed emergency vehicles were using visible lights and markings. The troops destroyed the vehicles and buried the paramedics in a mass grave. A week later, U.N. and rescue personnel managed to access the site for recovery.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 individuals in southern Israel. Subsequently, more than 73,000 people have died in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry provides acknowledged casualty figures, maintaining records regarded as reliable by U.N. agencies. It reports that women and children represent about half of the fatalities.
The spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent, Eid Azizi, remarked to the Associated Press that international humanitarian law compliance could have prevented these tragedies.
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