The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have admitted for the first time this Wednesday that they opened fire in January 2024 against the vehicle in which the 6-year-old girl Hind Rajab was traveling in Gaza. After months of denying any involvement in one of the most documented episodes of attacks on the Palestinian enclave, the Army has now announced the opening of an internal investigation.
The General Staff has explained that "the results of the investigation revealed that IDF troops fired at a vehicle that was approaching while traveling in the opposite direction to the announced evacuation," a shift from the initial report released after the attack, in which they distanced themselves from what happened.
In that first official version, the IDF maintained that "they were not present near the vehicle nor within shooting range." However, the new examination acknowledges that Israeli forces not only fired at the Hamada family's car, causing the immediate death of five of its occupants, but also attacked the ambulance that arrived at the scene after the distress call from Hind Rajab and her 15-year-old cousin Lian.
The shooting against the Red Crescent ambulance resulted in the deaths of the two paramedics on board. Before that, Lian was hit by gunfire from Israeli troops while she was on the phone with emergency teams and died during the call. Afterwards, little Hind took over the call and remained connected until all signal was lost.
Twelve days later, when the IDF allowed access to the area, rescue teams found Hind lifeless alongside her six relatives inside the car, completely riddled with bullets. Very close by, the Red Crescent ambulance was found completely destroyed and burned, with the remains of the two healthcare workers inside.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has reacted harshly to the announcement of the military investigation. In a statement, it has indicated that it "does not trust" the announced process, which it has described as "an insult to the dead," and has accused Israel of trying to "exploit the victims of its genocide in Gaza to evade" accountability before the international community.
"We have not the slightest confidence in the Israeli judicial system. It is a farce intended to cover up and exonerate the criminals who murdered Hind Rajab and her family. We know who killed Hind," stated the director of the organization, Dyab Abou Jahjah.
The NGO has identified commanders Beni Aharon, Daniel Ella, and Sean Glass, in addition to 22 other IDF soldiers, as direct responsible for the attack, and has submitted the evidence it considers incriminating to the open case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"We believe that justice will be done, but not through a system responsible for justifying the crimes committed during the genocide. Justice will be done through international justice, the ICC, and national jurisdictions abroad. The Foundation will continue down this path and we will not be fooled by these maneuvers," the entity added.
At the same time, the Israeli military command has communicated decisions regarding other high-profile attacks committed during the war. Among them is the bombing that cost the lives of seven workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) in April 2024, as well as the actions in which employees of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) died in 2023 and 2024.
In the case of the organization founded by Spanish chef José Andrés, the General Staff has decided not to open new proceedings or additional criminal procedures against the implicated soldiers, beyond the measures already taken within the framework of the previous internal investigations.