Killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab may be a war crime, experts say

Independent experts appointed by the UN renewed calls for Israel to investigate the killing of Hind Rajab, which experts say may amount to a war crime.

Independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council renewed calls on Friday for Israel to investigate the killing of 6-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, along with six members of her family and the two paramedics who tried to rescue her, in what the experts said “may amount to a war crime.”

Hind became one of the conflict’s most high-profile victims when, on Jan. 29, her final pleas over the phone to be saved were recorded by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and heard around the world. Her case highlights the difficulty in bringing accountability for the deaths of civilians in Gaza.

The experts first raised the issue in a letter to the Israeli government on March 19, expressing alarm at the "apparently unlawful killing, of a seemingly targeted nature," and asked for information on what measures had been taken to conduct an "independent, impartial and transparent" investigation, and to ensure the protection of Gaza's civilian population.

The letter had received no response by July and, in "the absence of proper investigation and accountability," on Friday the experts issued a news release citing forensic analysis that show the car Hind was trapped in was shot at “from very close range using a type of weapon that can only be attributed to the Israeli forces.”

In response to a request for comment from NBC News on the allegations and on what measures the Israel Defense Forces had taken to investigate the case, the IDF said the incident was "under review," without providing further details.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/killing-six-year-old-hind-rajab-war-crimes-rcna162824

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