Key facts
- The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a war crimes complaint in India against an unnamed Israeli soldier.
- The complaint alleges the soldier's direct involvement in the unlawful destruction of civilian property in Khan Younis, Gaza, between March and April 2024.
- This is the second war crimes complaint filed by HRF in India against an Israeli soldier.
- HRF stated the soldier's actions may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide.
- The foundation used satellite imagery, social media footage, and open-source intelligence to build its case.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a second war crimes complaint in India against an Israeli soldier accused of deliberately demolishing civilian property in Gaza. The complaint, lodged on Tuesday, follows a similar one filed in June against Eitan Gilboa, a soldier from Israel's 271st Combat Engineering Battalion, who had posted images of his unit turning neighborhoods into "ash and dust." That case resulted in no action, and Gilboa subsequently left India.
The HRF's current case targets an unnamed soldier alleged to have been directly involved in the unlawful destruction of civilian property in Abasan al-Saghira, Khan Younis Governorate, between March and April 2024. The foundation asserts that these actions may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide.
The lawyer representing HRF in India stated that India has obligations under the Geneva Conventions and international law to act on credible allegations of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that India should not be a destination where Israeli soldiers accused of such crimes can evade accountability.
HRF utilized satellite imagery, social media footage, and other open-source intelligence to reconstruct events, concluding that the buildings were deliberately demolished rather than destroyed during active combat. This pattern, the organization noted, aligns with findings by Amnesty International regarding destruction along Gaza's eastern perimeter and the expansion of the "Yellow Line" into Gaza.
Tens of thousands of Israelis visit India annually after completing mandatory military service, often traveling the "hummus trail." HRF's general director, Dyab Abou Jahjah, stated the foundation's mission is to ensure justice for those participating in genocide. The Israeli government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has previously praised India's support, and India has not joined calls for an arms embargo on Israel or supported South Africa's genocide case at the ICJ.