Mother of Gaza child killed in 2024 car attack calls for independent probe

The mother of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed after Israeli troops fired on her family’s car in Gaza City, has demanded an independent investigation, saying the army’s criminal probe announced this week is insufficient. Wesam Hamada recalled her daughter’s final pleas, "Mama, I’m scared. Mama, I’m hungry. Mama, I’m hurt," which she says continue to echo in her mind.

Israeli officials confirmed that soldiers fired at the vehicle as it fled an Israeli incursion and also shot toward an ambulance sent to assist the family. The military said it would open a criminal investigation into the conduct of its troops. All six occupants of the car and two paramedics were killed, a result that the family and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society doubt will be addressed by the internal inquiry.

The incident drew worldwide attention after the Red Crescent released recordings of Hind and her 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamada calling for help, later incorporated into a short film nominated for an Oscar. The call captured gunfire, Hind’s pleas, and the moment Layan’s screams ceased. Ambulance dispatchers remained on the line until the connection dropped, and the bodies were discovered twelve days later.

A United Nations commission and the research group Forensic Architecture found evidence placing Israeli forces near the car, contradicting Israel’s initial claim that its troops were not in the area. Rana Al Faqih, a Red Crescent dispatcher who spoke with Hind for over three hours, said she could only offer her voice as comfort.

The military investigation is one of two criminal probes launched after reviewing roughly 150 incidents. Military investigators will forward findings to prosecutors, who may decide to pursue charges. Critics note that such investigations rarely result in indictments; an analysis by Israeli rights group Yesh Din found only 0.17% of reviewed incidents from 2014-2022 led to prosecution.

The Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation, which seeks accountability for alleged war crimes, said the internal probe “should not be mistaken for a genuine step toward justice.”

The Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, has caused more than 73,400 deaths in Gaza, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-led government, with women and children comprising about half of the fatalities. Hamada said her grief reflects the suffering of countless mothers in Gaza who have lost children in the conflict.