Israeli army orders criminal investigation into killing of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in Gaza

What the report says

The Israeli army has ordered a criminal investigation into the 2024 killing in Gaza of six-year-old Hind Rajab, according to BBC World News. The decision follows a review of the case and marks a shift from earlier Israeli statements that said its initial inquiry had found no troops in the area at the time. The Israel Defense Forces said the new probe will be handled by its Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.

BBC reported that Hind was travelling with family members in a vehicle in Gaza City in January 2024 when it came under Israeli fire during the war. She initially survived the attack and later spoke for hours by phone with paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, in a recording that drew international attention and condemnation. Her body was recovered days later along with those of relatives and two medics who had gone to help her.

The case has become a symbol of the civilian toll of the Gaza war and the dangers facing rescue workers trying to reach people trapped by fighting. As a matter of general context, criminal investigations by a military force can examine whether rules of engagement or battlefield procedures were breached, but BBC did not report any findings from the new inquiry at this stage.