An anti-Israel legal group has asked Indian authorities to arrest an Israeli reservist traveling in the country, alleging that he took part in demolitions during the war in Gaza.
The Hind Rajab Foundation said over the weekend that the soldier, a member of the IDF’s 721st Combat Engineering Battalion, helped carry out building demolitions in Rafah and Khan Younis. The group claimed that footage posted on social media, in which the soldier allegedly appears to celebrate what it described as an act of revenge, constitutes evidence of war crimes.
The Hind Rajab Foundation says this social media video of an IDF reservist in Gaza forms part of evidence submitted to Indian authorities in a war crimes complaint
The foundation, which operates internationally to file legal complaints against IDF soldiers and Israeli security officials, said it submitted an urgent complaint to Indian police, the Interior Ministry and immigration authorities.
It said it gave Indian authorities an investigative file containing videos, social media posts and other materials, and demanded that the soldier be arrested, placed under criminal investigation and subjected to universal jurisdiction, which the group says is anchored in Indian law and the Geneva Conventions.
The foundation’s director, Dyab Abou Jahjah, accused the soldier of war crimes and said India could not serve as a “safe haven” for Israeli soldiers. Natasha Brack, the group’s legal director, also called on authorities to act, warning against turning the Israeli backpacker route in India into a path for evading prosecution.
Despite its forceful rhetoric, the foundation has so far struggled to secure significant legal victories. The organization, established in Belgium after the start of the Israel-Hamas war and identified with broad anti-Israel activity, including alleged links to Hezbollah, has filed dozens of complaints against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians in various countries.
In most cases, however, the complaints have been rejected, closed or have not led to indictments or arrests.
Israeli officials have previously described the foundation’s activity as part of a legal and public opinion campaign against Israel, aimed at deterring IDF soldiers from traveling abroad and increasing international pressure. Israeli officials say many of the materials published by the group are based on open-source social media posts and presented in a selective or misleading manner.
The Hind Rajab Foundation is named after a Palestinian girl killed during the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Since its founding, it has become one of the most prominent groups seeking to identify IDF soldiers abroad and file criminal complaints against them in different countries.
According to the foundation, it has filed more than 90 complaints in about 30 countries. Only a few cases have led to preliminary procedural steps, with no major convictions or indictments.