BRUSSELS, August 20, 2026 (WAFA) — The Hind Rajab Foundation said it does not trust the Israeli army's decision to open investigations into the killing of five-year-old Palestinian child Hind Rajab, six members of her family, and two paramedics who were sent to rescue them on January 29, 2024.

The foundation expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the investigations, which followed Israel's acknowledgment that its soldiers opened fire on the vehicle carrying Hind in Gaza in January 2024.

Hind's case drew widespread international attention after an audio recording of her phone call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society seeking rescue was made public. She was later found dead inside the vehicle along with six members of her family and the two paramedics who had been dispatched to rescue her.

The foundation said its position also applies to the killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers by Israeli forces in Rafah on March 23, 2025.

The rights organization said that even if the announced investigations are actually carried out, they should not be considered a genuine step toward justice.

It said that Palestinian and international legal and human rights organizations have documented for years fundamental shortcomings in Israel's internal investigations into violations committed by its soldiers, making them unreliable mechanisms for accountability.

According to the foundation, investigations into alleged violations by Israeli forces often end without serious examination, criminal prosecutions or meaningful punishment. Even in the few cases in which soldiers have been convicted of crimes, it said, the penalties have often been excessively lenient or administrative in nature.

The foundation cited the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as an example. Following an Israeli investigation into her killing in May 2022, Israel acknowledged in September of the same year that there was a "high possibility" that she had been killed by Israeli fire. However, the military advocate general concluded that there was no suspicion warranting a criminal investigation by military police, and no criminal investigation was opened.

The Hind Rajab Foundation also questioned the timing of Israel's announcement.

"After two and a half years of genocide, why has Israel suddenly decided to open criminal investigations into these two cases specifically, among the countless crimes documented by international bodies, human rights and legal organizations, journalists and independent investigators?" the foundation asked.

It said the answer lies in Israel's own record, noting that Israel claims to have referred more than 1,000 incidents involving suspected misconduct by its forces in Gaza to its fact-finding and assessment mechanism and opened 74 criminal investigations, but has not published a comprehensive account detailing the status or outcomes of those investigations.

The foundation also cited an independent review by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) of 52 Israeli military investigations announced over alleged violations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. According to the foundation, the review found that 88 percent of the investigations were either closed without establishing wrongdoing or remained under review without published findings, while only one investigation resulted in a prison sentence.

The foundation said this was "not something new," but rather a continuation of a pattern spanning decades in which announcements of internal investigations have repeatedly failed to result in genuine accountability for crimes committed against Palestinians.

"An impression of accountability"

The foundation said the sudden announcement of investigations into the killing of Hind Rajab, her family members and the 15 Palestinian paramedics should not be viewed as a genuine shift toward justice, but rather as a response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure aimed at creating an impression of accountability while impunity continues.

It said the timing should be understood in the broader context of renewed international scrutiny of Israel over the latest escalation in Gaza, intensified attacks on southern Lebanon and renewed Israeli military operations against Syria.

The foundation said that in October 2025, following what it described as an extensive and thorough investigation, it identified the Israeli military unit, commanders and soldiers it said were responsible for the killing of Hind Rajab, six members of her family and the two paramedics who had been sent to rescue them.

The Hind Rajab Foundation was established in February 2024 and is headquartered in Brussels. It pursues legal cases against Israeli officials and military personnel in countries around the world.

K.T