Hind Rajab’s grandmother rejects Israeli military investigation into her killing

The grandmother of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab rejected an Israeli military probe into her killing Wednesday, saying the family has no confidence in Israeli investigations and demands an independent international investigation. Her remarks came after the Israeli army acknowledged earlier Wednesday that its forces had fired on the car carrying Hind in Gaza City in January 2024 and announced a criminal investigation into her killing. The army also announced a separate probe into the killing of 15 emergency and aid workers in Rafah in March 2025. Speaking to Anadolu, Hind’s grandmother said the family does not trust Israeli investigations or the Israeli judiciary. She said the family believes the civilian vehicle carrying Hind, her uncle, his wife and their children was deliberately targeted. The grandmother called for an independent international investigation into the killing of Hind, six of her relatives and two Palestine Red Crescent medics who tried to rescue her. She said the family’s demand for accountability goes beyond Hind’s case and should also cover the killing of Palestinian children during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. “We are not demanding justice only in Hind’s name as a child from Gaza, but in the name of all our child martyrs in Gaza,” she said. The Hind Rajab Foundation also rejected the credibility of the Israeli probe, saying it should not be regarded as a genuine step toward justice even if carried out. Recalling Hind’s final hours, her grandmother said the girl was traveling with her uncle, his wife and their children after the family fled Israeli bombardment and fighting when their vehicle came under fire near Fares gas station in Gaza City. Hind’s cousin Layan remained on the phone with relatives for hours pleading for help before contact with her was lost, she said. The family later managed to reach Hind, who told them she was still alive, and remained in contact with her while coordinating with the Palestine Red Crescent Society to send an ambulance. Communication was lost as the medics approached the area. After Israeli forces withdrew, the family found the bullet-riddled vehicle with Hind and six relatives dead inside, according to the grandmother. The two medics sent to rescue her were also found dead. Hind’s case sparked international outrage after an audio recording of her final call to the Palestine Red Crescent, in which she pleaded for help, was made public. Her body was found days after the Jan. 29, 2024 call. The Israeli army had previously denied that its forces were present near the scene when Hind was killed, before independent investigations using visual and audio evidence indicated an Israeli military presence in the area. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, many of them children, since Israel launched its war on the coastal enclave in October 2023.