The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgian pro-Palestinian organization operating against IDF soldiers who served as combatants, announced on Wednesday that it has filed another criminal complaint in India against an Israeli currently vacationing there.
HRF is conducting an international campaign against IDF soldiers who served in the Strip, tracking their social media activity and attempting to locate them during travel abroad.
The organization has filed complaints in various countries, including the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus, Romania, Brazil, Chile, and Sri Lanka.
It said that the Israeli is a reservist who was involved during his service in the Gaza Strip in the “unlawful destruction of civilian property” in the Khan Yunis area.
As part of the complaint, the organization is asking Indian authorities to investigate him on suspicion of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide.
These are the organization’s allegations; at this stage, it is not known whether an investigation has been opened against the Israeli following the complaint.
Unusually, in comparison to previous complaints filed by the organization, this time it did not reveal the Israeli’s identity. The announcement did not include his name, age, initials, the military unit in which he served, or the area in India where he is currently located. The organization also did not explain why it chose not to publish those details.
Basis of allegations: Social media documentation
Similar to previous cases, the HRF said that part of the material forming the basis of the complaint originates from footage published by the soldier himself, from the period of his service in Gaza, which, according to the organization, points to his alleged direct involvement in the destruction of civilian property.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir issued an order on soldiers’ use of social media, designed, among other things, to reduce the risk posed to soldiers by social media posts.
The guidelines emphasize that soldiers must not publish footage in uniform or from operational zones in a manner that could expose information or be used against soldiers in the international arena.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, established some two years ago, monitors social media posts by IDF soldiers and files complaints against soldiers while they are visiting foreign countries.
The organization has so far submitted dozens of complaints in approximately 20 countries. In some, such as Peru, Brazil, Romania, and Chile, various legal proceedings have been initiated following these complaints.
The allegations: Destruction in the Khan Yunis area
The current complaint focuses on IDF activity in Abasan al-Saghira, east of Khan Yunis, during March and April 2024.
According to the organization, it possesses satellite imagery, videos posted on social media, and open-source information that points to widespread destruction carried out in the area after IDF forces had already achieved operational control, rather than during active combat.
The organization claims that the acts described in the complaint could amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and “acts of genocide.”
However, at this stage, there is no known investigation opened against the soldier or steps taken by Indian authorities following the filing.
The founder of the “March 30 Movement” and its subsidiary, the Hind Rajab Foundation, is Dyab Abou Jahjah, a Lebanese-born Belgian citizen. According to him, “the suspect and his unit carried out the systematic destruction of homes and agricultural land in Gaza.”
Abou Jahjah noted that this is the second complaint the organization has submitted in India and called on the authorities in the country to “fulfill their international obligations.”
Natasha Bracke, head of litigation for the HRF, claimed that the organization’s investigation revealed that the destruction in Abasan al-Saghira “was not a byproduct of combat but a deliberate campaign to erase Palestinian life from the landscape of Gaza and to achieve territorial gain.”
She said the findings were transferred to the “competent Indian authorities,” whom she called on to investigate the allegations and prosecute those responsible.
Second complaint in India in less than three months
This is the second time in less than three months that HRF has acted against an Israeli it claims served in the Gaza Strip and traveled to India.
At the beginning of June, it was reported that the organization filed a complaint against a young man it said is an Israeli combat engineering reservist who was staying in the Himachal Pradesh region in northern India at the time.
According to the organization, in that case as well, the Israeli was tracked down following content he published himself on social media, from which his location could be inferred.
According to the organization, in that case too, the Israeli was tracked down following content he published himself on social media, from which his location could be inferred.
HRF claimed then that the materials in its possession also included documentation he posted from his time in service showing the destruction of buildings in Gaza.