Israel’s military has initiated its first criminal investigations concerning troop conduct in Gaza. The focus is on the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, as well as 15 Palestinian paramedics. However, the military will not probe three other attacks that resulted in the deaths of aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders. After reviewing 150 incidents in Gaza, decisions have been made on five cases.
Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, criticized the decision, calling it “wrong and painful.” These investigations are related to incidents that have caused significant international outrage. In one instance, Hind was in a vehicle with her deceased relatives, pleading for help by phone before being killed in February 2024. Following the shooting of the 15 medics in March 2025, the soldiers buried them in a mass grave.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 73,000 people have died in the conflict, including many women and children. Rights groups and U.N. commissions claim the campaign amounts to genocide and accuse Israeli forces of war crimes, including indiscriminate force and civilian killings. Israel denies these accusations, stating its operations target Hamas after its attack on southern Israel in October 2023. Israel attributes civilian deaths to Hamas, citing its operations in populated areas.
Israel asserts its justice system is capable of addressing troop violations, but rights groups argue soldiers are rarely held accountable. Wednesday’s statement omits several high-profile cases Israel has promised to investigate, including a hospital strike in southern Gaza that killed five journalists in August 2025. The 5-year-old was the sole survivor in a stranded car at the time.
Hind’s grandmother insists on an international investigation to uncover the truth and hold responsible parties accountable, seeking justice for all Gaza children. The military admitted to firing at the car carrying Hind’s family as they fled an Israeli invasion of Gaza City. Amid gunfire, 15-year-old Layan Hamada called the Palestinian Red Crescent, stating her family was dead. Minutes later, contact was lost, and the family’s bodies, along with two medics, were found deceased 12 days later.
The military acknowledged troops fired at an ambulance, killing two medics. Dyab Abou Jahjah of the Hind Rajab foundation criticized the investigations as superficial. The Palestinian Red Crescent also demands an international investigation, as Israeli responses are deemed insufficient.
A docudrama about Hind’s death, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” received international recognition and was nominated for an Oscar. Regarding the paramedics, Israeli troops fired on an ambulance in Rafah and subsequent emergency vehicles, leading to the deaths of 15 medics. Troops buried their bodies and vehicles in a mass grave, which U.N. workers accessed a week later to retrieve the remains.
The Israeli military initially justified the fire on the grounds of suspicious vehicle movements. However, video evidence revealed the teams had their emergency lights flashing. As a result, a deputy commander was demoted over the killings.
Israel decided against a criminal investigation into an April 2024 airstrike that targeted a World Central Kitchen convoy, resulting in the death of seven staff members. Although World Central Kitchen claimed it had coordinated movements with the military, the military stated the individuals were mistakenly identified as armed Hamas operatives.
The military’s statement indicated a lack of criminal misconduct suspicion. Some officers faced removal and reprimand following the incident. World Central Kitchen demanded an independent investigation, disputing the military’s findings. Similarly, no criminal action will be taken regarding Doctors Without Borders staff deaths in separate November 2023 and February 2024 instances.
Military investigators will now pursue these probes to present findings to military prosecutors. The military advocate general may proceed with further investigation, indict soldiers, or refrain from charging them.
HaMoked’s Tal Steiner noted that indictments and convictions of soldiers for harm against Palestinians are rare. From 2014 to 2022, only 0.17% of military investigations resulted in prosecution, highlighting a lack of accountability.
The ongoing conflict has devastating human costs. The war started on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 civilians and abducting 251. Despite a ceasefire in October, Israeli strikes continue in Gaza, resulting in at least 1,270 deaths.
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