Israel’s military said Wednesday it was launching criminal investigations into attacks that killed a Palestinian child and 15 Palestinian paramedics, the first such probes into troop conduct in Gaza.
The incidents had provoked international scrutiny of the country’s assault on Gaza. The rare move, The Wall Street Journal wrote, reflects Israel’s “sensitivity to criticism” over the lack of accountability for its soldiers’ actions during the war, which has killed around 20,000 non-combatants.
Washington had urged Israel to investigate 5-year-old Hind Rajab’s death, which was the subject of an Oscar-nominated film. The White House has in recent days also pressured Israel’s leader to condemn Israeli settlers’ siege of Palestinians in the West Bank, which soldiers stand accused of abetting.