Israel admits firing on vehicle that killed five-year-old Hind Rajab

The Israeli military has officially admitted to firing on the civilian vehicle in which five-year-old Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza City on 29 January 2024. This announcement marks the first time the state has acknowledged responsibility for the incident, ending a period of denial that lasted more than two years. The military has subsequently announced a criminal investigation into the killing, citing alleged failures in coordinating the movement of a Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance sent to rescue the child.

The admission follows the release of an Al Jazeera documentary, Ma Khafiya Aatham, produced in partnership with the Hind Rajab Foundation and Forensic Architecture. The investigation used satellite imagery and audio analysis to identify specific Israeli Merkava tanks adjacent to the vehicle and named the “Vampire Empire” company as directly responsible for the attack. The documentary also identified Lieutenant Colonel Beni Aharon of the 401 Armoured Brigade as the overall commander of the tanks present at the scene.

Israeli authorities claim their troops fired at an approaching vehicle and point to coordination errors regarding the rescue ambulance. However, human rights organisations and the Rajab family reject the internal probe as insufficient. Hind Hamada Rajab, the child’s grandmother, stated that she does not trust the Israeli judiciary and is demanding an independent international investigation into the deaths of her granddaughter and other family members.

The Hind Rajab Foundation filed a war crimes complaint with the International Criminal Court on 3 May 2025, targeting Lieutenant Colonel Aharon. The legal filing was part of a broader strategy to seek accountability in international jurisdictions. Dyab Abou Jahjah, president of the foundation, argued that the Israeli justice system has a track record of complicity in such crimes, noting that the lack of trust is based on evidence rather than ideology.

Dan Owen, a researcher at the Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din, highlighted the limited effectiveness of domestic investigations, noting that only a small percentage have resulted in indictments over the past decade. He suggested that political pressure often discourages law enforcement from holding perpetrators accountable, even when clear evidence exists. This institutional scepticism underscores the family’s insistence on an external probe.

The incident occurred after the family attempted to follow evacuation orders in a black Kia car. More than 300 bullets struck the vehicle, killing six relatives. A marked ambulance dispatched by the PRCS was later hit by a tank round, killing two medics. The victim’s mother, Wissam Hamada, continues to advocate globally for justice, though she has stated she is unable to watch the Oscar-nominated docudrama about her daughter’s death due to the emotional toll.