The killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza during Israel’s 2024 military campaign has become one of the most harrowing and emblematic tragedies of the conflict. Now, nearly a year after her death, an Al Jazeera investigative documentary, produced in partnership with the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), has unveiled new evidence pointing directly to specific Israeli military units and officers allegedly involved in the incident.
The revelations, detailed in the film Ma Khafiya Aatham (Tip of the Iceberg), have prompted the Foundation to file a formal criminal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against 24 Israeli soldiers and commanders, including several senior figures in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The case centers on the final hours of young Hind Rajab, who was trapped inside a bullet-riddled car with her deceased relatives for hours in late January 2024, pleading for rescue over the phone before being silenced by further shelling.
Her death, along with that of six members of her family and two paramedics sent to save her, has now become a focal point for allegations of war crimes during Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The newly uncovered evidence places the “Vampire Empire” company of the IDF’s 52nd Armoured Battalion at the scene, raising questions about command responsibility, the targeting of civilians, and potential cover-up efforts following the attack.
New Evidence from Al Jazeera and Forensic Architecture
At the heart of the new revelations is Al Jazeera’s documentary Ma Khafiya Aatham, an investigative collaboration with the Hind Rajab Foundation and the renowned research group Forensic Architecture, based at Goldsmiths, University of London. The investigation pieces together satellite imagery, intercepted communications, and geolocated social media footage to reconstruct the timeline of the incident and identify the military units operating in the area.
Hind Rajab’s ordeal began when her family attempted to flee Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood during intense fighting on January 29, 2024. The family car, carrying Hind, her uncle, aunt, and three cousins, came under heavy fire. In audio recordings later circulated worldwide, Hind can be heard crying over the phone to the Palestinian Red Crescent, describing the deaths of her family members and pleading for someone to come and rescue her. Red Crescent medics dispatched to the site were themselves killed after their ambulance was targeted near the same location.
Initially, the Israeli military denied any involvement, claiming its forces were not present in the vicinity at the time. The IDF suggested that the hundreds of bullet holes found in the vehicle were the result of a firefight between its troops and Palestinian militants. However, the forensic reconstruction by Forensic Architecture contradicts that narrative.
Their analysis confirmed that Israeli Merkava tanks belonging to the 401st Armoured Brigade were stationed just meters away from the family’s car and that no evidence of opposing gunfire or armed Palestinian presence was detected in the area during the relevant time window.
🚨The #HindRajabFoundation has filed a criminal complaint in Germany against German IDF soldier Shimon Zuckerman for war crimes and crimes against humanity based on verified evidence related to his role in the destruction of the village of Khuza’a in Gaza.
— The Hind Rajab Foundation (@HindRFoundation) October 24, 2025
more ⤵️… pic.twitter.com/XCqxuCdzyi
The forensic team also matched tank tracks and munition patterns found at the scene with those consistent with the Israeli 52nd Armoured Battalion, part of the 401st Brigade. This battalion, known as Ha-Bok’im (“The Breachers”), had played a leading role in the ground invasion of Gaza from October 2023 onwards and was involved in some of the most destructive operations, including strikes on hospitals and residential areas.
Command Responsibility: From Colonel Aharon to Major Glass
The investigation not only establishes the likely unit responsible for the deadly attack but also identifies the chain of command overseeing the operation. The Hind Rajab Foundation’s ICC complaint names Colonel Beni Aharon, commander of the 401st Armoured Brigade, as the senior officer in charge during the incident. Under his command was Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Ella, who led the 52nd Armoured Battalion, and Major Sean Glass, commander of the “Vampire Empire” company accused of directly carrying out the attack.
Major Glass’s company, according to the report, operated Merkava IV tanks in southern Gaza during the late stages of the Israeli ground campaign. The unit is accused not only of firing upon the Rajab family’s car but also of subsequently tampering with the crime scene to obscure evidence of wrongdoing. Video and photographic material reviewed by investigators allegedly show tank movements around the vehicle in the hours following the shelling, suggesting an attempt to destroy or distort evidence.
The documentary further introduces social media footage shared by IDF soldiers themselves, some of which inadvertently capture key landmarks later verified as being near the site of the Rajab killings. This footage has provided valuable geolocation data for independent researchers.
Among those featured in such videos is a self-described “war influencer” named Shimon Zuckerman, whose content frequently depicts Israeli soldiers in combat zones accompanied by inflammatory and dehumanizing rhetoric about Palestinians. The Hind Rajab Foundation argues that this material reflects a broader culture of impunity and moral degradation within parts of the IDF, exacerbating the need for international legal scrutiny.
The ICC complaint outlines specific acts that constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law, including deliberate targeting of civilians, denial of medical assistance, and obstruction of post-incident investigation. It also cites the systematic nature of these acts, noting that the 401st Armoured Brigade had been previously implicated in other incidents of civilian harm during the Gaza campaign.
The inclusion of Major Sean Glass, a rising officer within the IDF’s armored corps, marks a rare instance where individual field commanders have been directly identified and accused in a potential ICC case. The complaint also references an Argentine-Israeli dual national, Itay Choukirkov, allegedly part of the Vampire Empire company. Choukirkov is facing separate legal action under Argentina’s universal jurisdiction laws, which permit the prosecution of war crimes committed abroad.
The Pursuit of Accountability and Global Reaction
The Hind Rajab Foundation’s decision to pursue an ICC complaint represents one of the most determined efforts yet to secure accountability for civilian killings during the Gaza war. The Foundation, established in memory of Hind and her slain relatives, has mobilized an international coalition of legal experts, human rights groups, and digital forensic specialists to support its case. Its submission to the ICC reportedly includes detailed documentation, geospatial analysis, ballistic assessments, and testimonies from rescue workers and surviving relatives.
According to the Foundation, the evidence demonstrates a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the targeting of civilians and medical personnel in conflict zones. The group asserts that the Rajab case encapsulates the broader pattern of indiscriminate violence inflicted on Gaza’s civilian population during Israel’s 2023–2024 offensive, in which thousands of non-combatants, including children, were killed.
The ICC has not yet confirmed whether it will open a formal investigation into the complaint. However, the Court’s Office of the Prosecutor has previously stated that it is monitoring alleged war crimes committed in Gaza by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. If the ICC were to take up the case, it could mark a watershed moment in international accountability efforts concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
International reaction to the documentary and subsequent complaint has been polarized. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have praised the investigation for shedding light on potential breaches of international law and have reiterated calls for independent accountability mechanisms. Several Western governments, however, have remained cautious, with some reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense while urging “proportionate and lawful conduct” during military operations.
Israel’s government and military establishment have strongly rejected the allegations. The IDF spokesperson’s unit issued a statement labeling the documentary “propaganda designed to delegitimize Israel’s defense efforts” and reiterated that its operations “strictly target Hamas operatives.” It did not, however, address the specific evidence presented in the film or the ICC complaint. Israeli officials have also frequently criticized Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias and of serving as a mouthpiece for hostile actors—a claim the network firmly denies.
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Legal experts suggest that even if the ICC case does not proceed immediately, the collection and preservation of forensic evidence are crucial for future accountability. The precedent of previous international prosecutions, including cases from conflicts in the Balkans and Sudan, underscores the potential for delayed but significant legal action once political conditions permit.
The Hind Rajab Foundation continues to frame its mission as one rooted in justice rather than vengeance. In a recent statement, the organization emphasized that its goal is to establish a factual and legal record of what transpired, to ensure that such acts are neither forgotten nor repeated. The Foundation also advocates for broader reforms in international humanitarian law enforcement, arguing that the selective application of justice—where some nations are effectively shielded from scrutiny—undermines the legitimacy of the entire global system.
The Rajab case has also sparked renewed debate about the role of technology and open-source investigation in documenting war crimes. The integration of satellite imagery, battlefield audio analysis, and social media verification represents a new frontier in evidentiary standards. Experts note that such digital forensics can significantly reduce the capacity of perpetrators to deny responsibility, particularly in conflicts where journalists and investigators have limited on-the-ground access.
As the case gains traction, the story of six-year-old Hind Rajab remains a haunting symbol of innocence lost amid the machinery of war. Her recorded pleas for help, once dismissed as an unverified anecdote, have now become central evidence in a formal war crimes case—one that could redefine accountability in asymmetric warfare.
While justice for Hind and her family remains uncertain, the investigation into her death has already illuminated the hidden architecture of modern warfare: one where precision weaponry and advanced technology coexist with civilian suffering and institutional denial. Whether or not the ICC ultimately prosecutes the accused, the global exposure of this case has forced a reckoning with the human cost of conflict and the responsibilities of those who wage it.
The Hind Rajab Foundation’s complaint, bolstered by the forensic rigor of independent investigators and the persistence of journalists, may yet stand as one of the most significant attempts to confront impunity in the modern era of warfare—a reminder that even amid devastation, the pursuit of truth endures.
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