The grandmother of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab rejected an Israeli military investigation into her killing on Wednesday, saying the family has no confidence in an Israeli investigation and demanding an independent international probe.
The remarks came after the Israeli army acknowledged that its forces fired on the car carrying Hind in Gaza City in January 2024 and announced a criminal investigation into her death.
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 the Israeli judiciary and believes the civilian vehicle carrying Hind, her uncle, his wife and their children was deliberately targeted.
She called for an independent international investigation into the deaths of Hind, six of her relatives and two Palestine Red Crescent medics who were sent to rescue her.
“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 Israeli probe, saying it should not be considered a genuine step towards justice.
Hind's final hours
Hind was travelling 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, her grandmother said.
Hind's cousin Layan remained on the phone with relatives for hours pleading for help before contact with her was lost.
The family later reached Hind by phone and found she was still alive. They 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 her 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 January 29 2024 call.
The Israeli army had previously denied that its forces were present near the scene. Independent investigations using visual and audio evidence later indicated an Israeli military presence in the area.
More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its genocidal war on the enclave in October 2023, many of them children.
