For nearly three years, the military denied it was anywhere near the vehicle. Now, the stance has shifted. The Israeli military just announced its first criminal investigations into troop conduct during the Gaza war, targeting two specific high-profile incidents that triggered intense global outrage: the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab in 2024 and the deaths of 15 Palestinian paramedics in Rafah.
It sounds like a breakthrough. But if you look closely at how military justice operates in practice, you realize why human rights organizations aren't popping champagne.
The Details Behind the Probes
The announcement covers a review of roughly 150 incidents handled by the military's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism. Out of that massive pile, only five cases received definitive decisions, resulting in actual criminal probes for two.
The first focuses on Hind Rajab. In January 2024, the five-year-old was trapped in a car in Gaza City surrounded by the bodies of her dead relatives, frantically pleading with the Palestine Red Crescent Society for rescue over a mobile phone. The ambulance sent to save her was also hit, killing two medics. For years, officials claimed forces were not in the area. Now, the military admits troops fired at the vehicle, pointing to apparent coordination failures regarding the ambulance.
The second criminal probe centers on the deaths of 15 paramedics killed in Rafah in March 2025. Emergency vehicles driving slowly with flashing lights and clear logos were fired upon, and bodies were later recovered from a mass grave. One deputy commander was directed to step down, and the incident is finally heading to the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.
What Was Left Off the Table
While two cases cleared the high bar for a criminal investigation, several others hit a wall.
The military explicitly decided against launching criminal probes into three other high-profile attacks. That list includes the April 2024 airstrikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. Even though those vehicles had clear logos on their roofs and coordinated their movements, investigators concluded commanders made a tragic mistake by misidentifying individuals as armed operatives, clearing them of criminal misconduct. Similar decisions were made regarding Doctors Without Borders staff members killed in earlier strikes.
Why Rights Groups Remain Skeptical
Skepticism isn't just a talking point here; it is backed by decades of data. Independent legal researchers who track military accountability point out a stark historical reality. Over the last decade, only a tiny fraction of internal military investigations into the killing of Palestinians have ever resulted in actual indictments.
When political and domestic pressure mounts, internal mechanisms often function more as a shield than a sword. Human rights advocates argue that genuine accountability will never happen from within. Victims' families, including Hind Rajab's grandmother, continue to demand independent international inquiries to uncover the full truth.
The announcement marks a rare public acknowledgment of fault from the command structure. Yet, moving from an admission of firing shots to an actual courtroom conviction remains a very different battle entirely. Keep a close eye on whether these newly opened military police investigations lead to real indictments or quietly fade away like so many before them.
