The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it would open criminal investigations into two high-profile incidents that resulted in the deaths of Palestinians during the Gaza war: the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab and her relatives, and the killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics. The announcement came after the military completed a review of 150 incidents involving the conduct of Israeli troops in Gaza, with decisions reached in five cases.
The statement did not address several other high-profile killings that the military had previously pledged to investigate, including an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza in August 2025 that killed five journalists. It also said it would not pursue criminal investigations into three other incidents involving aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
How the killings unfolded
Both the killing of Hind Rajab in February 2024 and the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in May 2025 drew international attention and condemnation.
Rajab was travelling with six relatives as they tried to flee Gaza City when Israeli troops opened fire on their vehicle. Her 15-year-old cousin, Layan Hamada, called the Palestinian Red Crescent, saying a tank was approaching and that her family had been killed. Seconds later, further gunfire could be heard before Layan's screams stopped, according to a recording released by the Red Crescent.
Hind initially survived the attack and remained in contact with the Red Crescent as it sought permission from the Israeli military to reach her. Twelve days later, she, her relatives, and two medics sent to rescue her were found dead.
The 15 paramedics were killed in Rafah after Israeli troops opened fire on ambulances and other emergency vehicles responding to casualties and searching for a missing ambulance, according to phone footage and the sole survivor. Their bodies and damaged vehicles were subsequently buried in a mass grave. UN and rescue workers recovered the remains about a week later.
The Israeli military initially said the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals. It later revised its account after footage showed the emergency vehicles moving with flashing lights and visible Red Crescent and Civil Defence markings.
“We are not obligated to prove the truth because it is already proven to the whole world,” Eid Azizi, a Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson, told the Associated Press. “We shouldn’t have reached this point if they respected and followed the international humanitarian law.”
The decision to open criminal probes comes amid growing international scrutiny of Israel's conduct in Gaza, with European governments and human rights organisations repeatedly calling for accountability. The European Union has urged all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, and several member states have suspended arms exports to Israel over concerns about violations.
While the Israeli military has said it is committed to investigating alleged misconduct, critics argue that the process is slow and opaque, and that many cases never lead to prosecution. The lack of transparency has fuelled distrust among Palestinians and international observers alike.
The announcement also comes as tensions remain high across the region, with recent incidents such as deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon drawing sharp rebukes from Washington and European capitals. Meanwhile, protests have erupted in European cities, including renewed anger in Piraeus over the docking of an Israeli cruise ship.
For many in Europe, the cases of Hind Rajab and the medics have become symbols of the human cost of the conflict. The European Parliament has passed resolutions calling for independent investigations into alleged war crimes, and several national parliaments have debated the issue.
As the criminal probes begin, the international community will be watching closely to see whether they lead to meaningful accountability or are seen as a token gesture. The families of the victims, along with human rights groups, have expressed scepticism, noting that previous investigations have rarely resulted in prosecutions.
The Israeli military has not provided a timeline for the investigations, but said they would be conducted by the Military Advocate General's Corps. The outcomes could have significant implications for Israel's relations with its European allies, many of which have called for greater respect for international law in the conflict.
