By SCM International Desk I Wednesday, August 19, 2026
GAZA STRIP — The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that its legal division will initiate criminal investigations into two separate lethal incidents involving aid workers and civilians in Gaza, while clearing commanders of criminal wrongdoing in three other high-profile attacks, including the April 2024 strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) employees.
The decisions, issued by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Military Advocate General Corps following reviews by the General Staff Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM), mark a rare step toward formal accountability for military personnel amid growing international pressure over the conduct of operations in the enclave.
The military’s internal assessment mechanism reviewed approximately 150 operational incidents before submitting findings to military prosecutors.
The resulting decisions highlight both the rare opening of Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID) probes and the systemic miscommunications and misidentifications that have repeatedly proved fatal to humanitarian personnel across the territory.
The Military Prosecution ordered criminal investigations into two specific events where evidence indicated potential criminal misconduct:
The Hind Rajab Incident (January 2024): Military police will investigate the deaths of seven members of the Hamada family, including six-year-old Hind Rajab, and two Palestine Red Crescent paramedics. IDF troops fired on the family’s vehicle as it traveled against advance routing notices.
Though the movement of an ambulance was subsequently coordinated to rescue the surviving children, a tank shell reportedly struck the arriving paramedics. The military cited “alleged failures in the coordination” as the basis for opening a criminal inquiry.
The Tel al-Sultan Ambush (March 2025): A second criminal investigation was ordered into a series of three shooting incidents in Tel al-Sultan that left 15 Palestinians dead, including emergency responders and a UN employee. IDF troops conducting an ambush fired on a sequence of arriving rescue vehicles—including a fire truck, ambulances, and a UN vehicle.
Following the attack, troops crushed the vehicles and covered the deceased with metal mesh. Six of those killed were identified by the IDF as Hamas operatives.
WCK Strike Cleared of Criminal Charges
Despite finding “serious failures” in the targeting process, military prosecutors declined to open a criminal investigation into the April 1, 2024 strike that killed seven WCK workers in Deir al-Balah.
According to the FFAM findings, IDF personnel mistakenly concluded that Hamas operatives had hijacked the humanitarian convoy after observing armed security guards—hired by WCK to protect the aid during an uncoordinated nighttime transfer—entering vehicles.
Military officers tracked the convoy for 30 minutes, attempting unsuccessfully to contact WCK representatives, before launching strikes on three vehicles as they deviated from a pre-approved route.
The Chief Military Prosecutor concluded that while commanders made grave operational errors based on a sequence of suspicious indicators, their actions did not constitute criminal misconduct under the operational circumstances.
Two officers—a Major serving as Brigade Humanitarian Assistance Officer and a Colonel serving as Brigade Chief of Staff—were dismissed from their positions, while three senior commanders received formal reprimands.
Additional Incidents involving Doctors Without Borders
The military prosecution also closed two inquiries into fatal incidents involving Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) without initiating criminal probes:
Khan Yunis Building Strike (February 2024): Troops fired a tank shell at an MSF facility, killing two women, after assessing the unlit building as a potential threat.
The investigation concluded that troops lacked updated intelligence identifying the building as an MSF site and could not see organizational signage from their approach route, determining the target was reasonably assumed to be a military objective.
Gaza City Convoy Firing (November 2023): Two MSF staff members were killed when a five-vehicle convoy turned back toward Gaza City after waiting at an IDF checkpoint.
The investigation determined that soldiers fired warning shots at the roadway to halt uncoordinated vehicle movement, concluding the deaths were likely caused by bullet ricochets rather than targeted fire.
The findings arrive after more than two years of continuous military operations in the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.
Throughout the conflict, humanitarian agencies and international observers have repeatedly raised alarms over the safety of aid personnel, reporting that over 250 humanitarian workers have been killed in the enclave.
Israel established the FFAM as an independent body under government directive to conduct factual assessments of potential violations of domestic and international law during combat operations.
While the mechanism allows the IDF to internally audit operational conduct, human rights organizations and international legal experts have frequently criticized the internal justice system, arguing that administrative reprimands and closed investigations rarely lead to prosecution or systemic reform.
The opening of MPCID criminal probes represents a pivotal juncture, though military officials noted that no further details would be released while the active criminal investigations proceed.
