“I’m so scared, please come…” Five-year -old Hind Rajab uttered these words in her last call to emergency rescuers. But help could never arrive.

More than two years on, Israel is finally investigating the Palestinian girl’s killing — and admitting, for the first time, that its own troops opened fire on the car in which she and her family were travelling in Gaza.

What happened to Hind Rajab?

On January 29, 2024, Hind Rajab was fleeing Gaza City with six family members in a car when it came under Israeli fire. Four of the occupants of the car died. Only Hind and her 15-year-old cousin, Layan Hamada, survived the initial round of shooting.

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For hours, Layan and Hind pleaded with a Palestinian Red Crescent dispatcher for rescue, telling them a tank was approaching and that she was scared of the dark before the call cut off. Two paramedics sent to save her were also killed. Twelve days later, rescue workers recovered the bodies of all seven from the wreckage.

Hind Rajab’s last call:

🔊▶️


“I’m scared… come take me!” She’s pleading with the rescue team

12 days ago the 6-year-old Palestinian called Palestine Red Crescent Society @PalestineRCS after an Israeli tank targeted their family car in Gaza, medics were dispatched to look pic.twitter.com/CgXyWyTuE4

— Osama Bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid) February 10, 2024

For two years, Israel denied role of its troops

The Israel Defense Forces had denied any involvement for two years. In February 2024, it told the Times of Israel that its troops “were not present near the vehicle or within firing range” of the car. When Washington Post and CNN questioned Israeli officials on the incident, they gave similarly evasive answers.

However, an Al Jazeera investigation, produced with the Hind Rajab Foundation and research group Forensic Architecture, used satellite imagery and audio analysis to place Israeli Merkava tanks just metres from the vehicle. It found no evidence of any exchange of fire. The firing was only from the Israeli side.

During its investigation, Forensic Architecture found that an Israeli tank had fired 335 rounds at Hind Rajab’s car. The ambulance, carrying Palestine Red Crescent Society paramedics, Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, was completely destroyed, most likely by an Israeli tank shell.

A separate analysis by the campaign group Avaaz found that roughly three hours had passed between the shooting of the family and the shelling of the ambulance sent to rescue them. This indicated that there was time for commanders to know exactly what was happening on the ground.

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GAZA — ACCOUNTABILITY EXPLAINED

Hind Rajab: How a 5-year-old's death forced an Israeli admission, two years on

Israel has for the first time admitted its troops were responsible for Hind Rajab's death — and opened a criminal investigation. Here's the full story.

Who was Hind? What happened? The evidence Whitewash or justice?

BACKGROUND

A 5-year-old fleeing Gaza City

On January 29, 2024, Hind Rajab was fleeing Gaza City with six family members when their car came under Israeli fire. Four occupants died instantly — only Hind and her 15-year-old cousin, Layan Hamada, survived the initial shooting.

5

Years old when killed

6

Family members killed with her

3 hrs

Pleading with rescuers before the call cut off

 

JAN 29, 2024 — MORNING

Car comes under Israeli fire while fleeing Gaza City; 4 of 6 occupants killed instantly.

 

JAN 29, 2024 — FOR HOURS

Hind and cousin Layan plead with a Red Crescent dispatcher for rescue, saying a tank is approaching, before the call cuts off.

 

JAN 29, 2024 — HOURS LATER

Two paramedics sent to rescue Hind are killed. The ambulance is destroyed, most likely by an Israeli tank shell.

 

FEB 10, 2024

Twelve days later, rescue workers recover the bodies of all seven from the wreckage.

 

FEBRUARY 2024

The IDF tells the Times of Israel its troops "were not present near the vehicle or within firing range."

 

THIS WEEK

Israel finally admits its troops opened fire and announces a criminal investigation, citing "alleged failures" in coordinating the ambulance.

THE INVESTIGATION

Satellite imagery and audio broke the denial

An investigation by Al Jazeera, the Hind Rajab Foundation and research group Forensic Architecture used satellite imagery and audio analysis to place Israeli Merkava tanks just metres from the vehicle. It found no evidence of any exchange of fire — only fire from the Israeli side.

★

335 rounds fired

Forensic Architecture found an Israeli tank fired 335 rounds at Hind Rajab's car.

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A three-hour gap

Campaign group Avaaz found roughly three hours passed between the shooting of the family and the shelling of the ambulance sent to rescue them — time enough for commanders to know what was happening on the ground.

"The recording of Hind Rajab begging for help was heard around the world – and still children in Gaza face unimaginable suffering."

— Pascal Vollenweider, Avaaz campaign director, at a Barcelona event

THE REVIEW

Only 5 of 150 reviewed cases published

The probe stems from Israel's General Staff Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM), which has worked through 150 incidents from the Gaza war. Only two — Hind Rajab's killing and the March 2025 killing of 15 Palestinians, including rescue workers, in Rafah — were referred for criminal investigation. The World Central Kitchen aid worker deaths were not.

THE NUMBERS

88% closed without a finding of wrongdoing

Israel has referred over 1,000 Gaza-related incidents to the FFAM and opened dozens of criminal investigations. An independent review by Action on Armed Violence found 88% of 52 publicly tracked cases were closed without a finding of wrongdoing or left unresolved — only one resulted in a prison sentence.

REFERRED FOR PROSECUTION

Hind Rajab killing & March 2025 Rafah killings (15 dead)

NOT REFERRED

World Central Kitchen aid worker killings

"A system which overwhelmingly closes cases without accountability, years after the fact, and only in response to sustained international pressure isn't justice — it's a whitewash."

— Human Rights Watch, to ABC News

Sources: CNN · Al Jazeera · Forensic Architecture · Avaaz · Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) · ABC News · Times of Israel

 

Why Israel is investigating the death now

Technically, it isn’t specifically investigating Hind Rajab’s killing. It’s part of a much larger internal review, not a standalone decision.

This week, the IDF acknowledged that its forces opened fire on the car and announced a criminal investigation, citing “alleged failures” in coordinating with the Red Crescent ambulance sent to rescue the girls, reported CNN. It’s one of two high-profile Gaza killings referred for criminal investigation, alongside the March 2025 killing of 15 Palestinians, including rescue workers, in Rafah.

However, Israel declined to refer other cases, including the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers, for prosecution.

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The Hind Rajab killing probe came out of Israel’s General Staff Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM), which is the military’s internal body for reviewing war crime allegations.

According to CNN, the FFAM had been working through 150 incidents from the Gaza war and finished its first comprehensive review since fighting began in October 2023. Only five of those 150 decisions were published this week. The rest are still awaiting a ruling from the military advocate-general.

Over the two years, the case never faded from public view. The recorded phone calls kept circulating online, UN-appointed human rights experts called the killing a possible war crime, and the 2025 docudrama ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab‘ earned an Oscar nomination in 2026. All this garnered international attention and mounted pressure.

Will the investigation have any effect?

Hind’s mother, Wesam Hamada, told CNN that the probe had been “long overdue” but “justice has not yet begun”. Her grandmother, Hind Hamada Rajab, wanted an international investigation instead, according to Al Jazeera.

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According to the Hind Rajab Foundation, Israel has referred more than 1,000 Gaza-related incidents to the FFAM and opened dozens of criminal investigations. Yet, an independent review by London-based Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) found 88% of 52 publicly tracked cases were closed without a finding of wrongdoing or left unresolved. And only one resulted in a prison sentence. AOAV researches and campaigns against the global impact of weapons-based violence.

Human Rights Watch told the news website ABC that a system which “overwhelmingly closes cases without accountability, years after the fact, and only in response to sustained international pressure isn’t justice — it’s a whitewash”.

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said Israel’s past investigations were “not independent and not credible”. CNN quoted him as saying that he doesn’t believe this investigation would be any different.

On the other side, outlets like Israel-based HonestReporting argue the probe should be read as evidence of accountability working as intended, not as an admission of guilt.