Video summary
More than two years after the tragic death of five-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza City, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has announced a new criminal investigation into the incident where her family and an ambulance crew were killed. The military initially stated that troops fired at a vehicle approaching them, but they had previously denied involvement by claiming their forces were not near the scene. This renewed investigation comes after Hind survived for hours while waiting for rescue, only to be caught in crossfire when the dispatched ambulance was also targeted, leading to the recovery of all victims' bodies twelve days later. The IDF asserts that this inquiry will focus on alleged failures in coordinating the movement of the medical vehicle, though specific details remain under review as the process unfolds.
The discussion highlights a significant tension between the desire for military accountability and the complexities of operating in an active war zone. Major General Eitan Dangot, speaking from his perspective as a former commander, emphasizes that while he supports bringing the truth to light, the chaotic nature of battlefield conditions often complicates immediate investigations. He notes that soldiers are trained to act under extreme pressure and that the primary goal of such inquiries is not necessarily to imprison individuals but to ensure commanders made the best possible decisions given the intelligence available at the time. Dangot argues that society must acknowledge that while mistakes can occur, there may also be crimes committed by a small number of individuals, and it is crucial for Israel to conduct competent internal investigations to shield itself from international legal proceedings like those at the ICC.
International observers and families of victims, represented by organizations like the Hind's Diaries Foundation, remain skeptical about the sincerity of these delayed probes. They fear that the investigation could be a sham designed to protect the military rather than seek justice, pointing out that Israel has historically shown reluctance to put soldiers on trial or convict them, even when evidence suggests otherwise. The foundation argues that proving the Israeli judicial system is capable of conducting serious investigations is essential for gaining international trust and avoiding external legal intervention. Despite the film "The Voice of Hind's Diaries" gaining global attention and nominating for an Oscar, which brought immense pressure on the issue, the core debate continues over whether these late-stage inquiries will truly lead to meaningful accountability or simply serve as a procedural formality during a sensitive election period.
Ultimately, the case underscores the difficult balance between maintaining military effectiveness in a prolonged conflict and upholding human rights standards. While General Dangot insists that the investigation is necessary to keep Israel's hands clean and to educate future soldiers on humane behavior toward civilians, critics worry that the timing and scope of the probe may be influenced by political realities. The consensus among the speakers is that while errors are inevitable in such a complex war, admitting to potential crimes and conducting thorough reviews is vital for the moral integrity of the nation. As the investigation proceeds, the international community watches closely to see if this late admission marks a genuine shift toward transparency or if it remains another instance where the full truth is obscured by the fog of war and political necessity.
Read the full video transcript
More than two years after 5-year-old
Hind Rajab was killed in Gaza City, the
IDF has announced a criminal
investigation into the incident. The
military says troops fired at a vehicle
that was approaching them, killing five
members of the Hamada family.
Hind and her cousin initially survived,
spending hours on the phone with
Palestinian medics to come rescue them.
The ambulance dispatched then also came
under fire.
12 days later, the bodies of Hind, her
relatives, and two ambulance workers
were recovered from the area.
The IDF says the investigation will
examine alleged failures in coordinating
the ambulance's movement. It has not
released further details while that
process is underway. Well, back here in
studio, still with me is Major General
in Reserves Eitan Dangot. And joining us
as now is i24 News senior correspondent
Owen Alterman.
Uh Eitan, I want to begin with you
because the IDF had previously denied
involvement, saying months later a
preliminary investigation found its
forces were, quote, "not present near
the vehicle or within firing range of
the vehicle." So, why two years later
are we seeing this investigation
actually opened again?
>> First of all, I'm not so well informed
about this case, but
what does it show? It showed that the
evidence, the details
during the timetable, also remember two
years ago we were in a battlefield.
We were in a war, and it's taking only
the last month you can see it and ask
and investigate more maybe specifically.
Of course, we would like to have such
decision, and I put my hands about this
decision to open it again earlier, but
in such circumstances, while first of
all you are under a war, and they So, it
can be such situation. I think the most
important thing is to continue with this
investigation and to bring the truth.
And this is something that we educate
our soldiers, commanders to know that
everything that should be, let's say no
way
with question marks, will not be ended
till we close the circle. So, it's
better to do it now than before.
And it's better to bring the evidence
and the truth to know what's going
there. And I recommend to stay till the
end. Concerning if I may have 1 minute
more, what was about your questions to
Summer about the situation in Gaza and
area. Summer is very logic and his words
are very acceptable by me or by others,
but this is not the reality. We have to
remember also 2007
were elections and I heard the same
voices. I was that time in a very
sensitive meetings with the
Palestinians. And what does it bring us?
It brought us that time terrorism, Hamas
controlling Gaza, Fatah was thrown from
Gaza, and what you say now. It's better
now to go step by step. First of all, to
understand how Summer
declare or said about to disarm Hamas.
What does it mean? It means that there
is a process who is still going to do
it, whether the present leadership of
Hamas, Khalil al-Hayya on the top, the
truth be up about his
activities on the 7th of October 23,
whether they will be there or whether
we'll build a new organization. Before
you build a structure, before you give
people a new administration
and a new way, there will be the same
ideas as before the war, during the war,
and now. And it has to be very careful
about these kind of things that are
going to to decided. Very sensitive time
with the United States about the
discussion. And one thing is missing.
What is really Bibi Netanyahu demands
concerning Gaza for the future? We don't
get it in Hebrew, maybe they got it in
English.
>> All right. Well, I do appreciate what
you said when it comes to this
investigation as the elections are still
in the future, but this investigation is
happening now. Owen, 2 years after the
idea of still following up on the air
strikes from the war, but is the
international community listening
because this specific story gained so
much international attention. There was
a film, The Voice of Hind's Dairies, it
was it was nominated for an Oscar. So,
even with this follow-up of the
investigation, is that going to make a
difference in the international
community?
>> Right. Not only is there a movie,
Nicole, but there's a whole foundation.
The Hind's Dairies Foundation, as we
know, right, chasing Israeli soldiers as
they see it to the end of the earth to,
as they see it, bring them to justice.
They came out with a press release after
the announcement of the opening of the
investigation. Look, Nicole, on one
hand, they assume the worst about the
Israeli military. I assume the best,
right? Every possible point of doubt,
they take and make the worst possible
assumption about the military's motives,
about its practices, and about what it
wants to achieve. I'm an Israeli, and
candidly, I take the opposite. I assume
the best of this country's military. But
beyond that, Nicole, what's one of the
claims that they make? Is they say this
is going to be a sham investigation.
Israel rarely opens investigations, the
investigations aren't serious. And on
that point, and and I'm interested in
what Aida Touma-Suleiman has to say
about this. There is a reluctance in
this country to actually put soldiers on
trial and to convict them. There's a lot
of sympathy with soldiers in the line of
battle.
Uh there's a lot of sympathy with the
threats that they face. A lot of times
these are friends and our neighbors,
many cases serving reserve duty.
And there's a real reluctance in Israel
to put soldiers on trial and convict
them.
Uh in some cases, in some people's
opinions, even if the evidence were to
suggest otherwise. Now, as you said,
Nicole, we're in the middle of an
election campaign. Surely the results of
this investigation won't come out in the
space of the 2 and 1/2 months until the
election
is held, but there is that reluctance
here. And to that and that limited
point, I think frankly the Henrich
Altmann Foundation has has some basis to
stand on.
>> Uh
Eitan, would you like to briefly follow
up when it comes to actually putting
some of these Israeli soldiers on trial
for some of the errors that do happen on
the battlefield?
>> First of all,
when you send a soldier to the
battlefield, you have to give him all
the support and the hug from the country
that he has to be supported because he's
going to give his life to defend his
country. And this is the one of the
basic things that me as a commander with
my soldiers and will go on, I hope, for
generations. The soldier should be know
that we are behind him. But the real
There are very clear things that the
soldiers are educated on them, training,
studying, learning. And also this kind
of an investigation is not to put
soldiers on trial, is to look about
commander decisions during this act,
whether it was in a way that it took,
let's say, a decision decision in in
this area while really it could decide
on another way. Whether he had another
intelligence, what were the reports that
he got from the field, whether he could
wait or not to wait, and everything
should be calculated. It's not easy, but
I think the fact that even it's too
late, but we are going to check it, to
study from it, and the end game is not
my opinion that we'll see someone in TV
abroad and we'll say, "Oh, they're
sending someone to jail." No, it first
of all for us to keep our hands clean,
to be that the way we educate our
soldiers and continue to be a human way
of to defend and but to do a human
behavior towards civil or others. So,
this is the main part and maybe there
were any mistakes. I don't know really
this case, but it should be done at
least in this circumstances.
>> Two small points, Nicole. First of all,
look, in a war as sprawling and as long
as intensive and as complicated and as
challenging as the fighting in Gaza, I
think we all have to recognize that
there are going to be mistakes and there
may also be crimes. That in the tens of
thousands, even maybe hundreds of
thousands of Israelis who have served in
the Gaza Strip, there may well be among
them a few criminals. And I think as a
society, and I'm not saying that these
particular people, God forbid, committed
a crime. I'm not saying that. But the
concept that there may be a handful at
least of criminals, of real criminals,
among those people who have made
committed real crimes is something I
think as a society we have to be open
to. And as a practical level, and the
Hidden Truth About Foundation's press
release made this clear, which is why
they're a little bit concerned about
these investigations from their
perspective is the more Israel and the
Israeli military and the judicial system
prove themselves capable and competent
at conducting real investigations, the
more shielded Israel and Israelis are
from international courts and
international legal procedures. At the
ICC, they look first and foremost if
it's been done inside the country in
terms of prosecuting crimes and must
give deference to that if those
investigations and those prosecutions
have been conducted in appropriate way.
>> Which is important that they are
happening even if it is 2 years later as
Eitan is clear to state. Oh, and
ultimately Eitan Dangoor has interesting
perspective on on what is actually
unfolding
when it comes to the the battlefield and
the errors of war that Israel continues
to investigate.
>> Unfortunately, when you open a fire,
everything is changed.
>> Certainly, as we continue to see on all
of our fronts. Well, thank you both for
being with me.