India hosting Israeli soldiers involved in Gaza war crimes: HRF files second complaint
Islamabad: India is facing renewed scrutiny over its growing ties with Israel after the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a war crimes complaint against an Israeli soldier involved in deliberately demolishing civilian property in Gaza, raising questions over New Delhi’s willingness to host Israeli military personnel facing allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the complaint is the second brought by the HRF against an Israeli soldier visiting India. In June, the organization filed a complaint against Eitan Gilboa, a soldier with Israel’s 271st Combat Engineering Battalion, who had shared images of his battalion “turning entire neighbourhoods in Gaza into ash and dust” and posted video of himself celebrating the demolitions. The Indian government took no action, and Gilboa subsequently left the country.
HRF said its case against the second soldier – whom it has not publicly named – stems from his direct involvement in the unlawful destruction of civilian property in Abasan al-Saghira, in the Khan Younis Governorate, between March and April 2024.
The organization said his actions may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide.
The lawyer who filed the case on behalf of HRF in India in a media interview said that India had obligations under the Geneva Conventions and international law that it had to uphold. “India cannot become a ‘second home’ where Israeli soldiers accused of grave international crimes travel with impunity, and come to cleanse themselves of accountability after participating in the destruction of Palestinian life in Gaza,” the lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was quoted by Middle East Eye as saying.
“The obligation is clear: where there are credible allegations of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, India must act,” the lawyer added.
In its submission, HRF said it used satellite imagery, social media footage, and other open-source intelligence to reconstruct the sequence of events surrounding the demolition of the area in Khan Younis. The organization said the evidence showed that the buildings were deliberately demolished rather than destroyed during active warfare.
Tens of thousands of Israelis travel to India each year after completing their mandatory service, raising broader concerns among rights groups about the accountability of military personnel involved in grave rights abuses in Gaza.
“HRF exists to ensure that no one who participates in genocide escapes justice,” Dyab Abou Jahjah, general director at HRF, said in a statement.
The complaint comes against the backdrop of increasingly close India-Israel relations. The Israeli government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli diplomats, has repeatedly praised India for its support during the Gaza war.
The BJP-led Indian government has not backed South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and has also not joined calls for an arms embargo on Israel. Indian companies have continued to supply Israel with military components.
The latest HRF complaint has therefore intensified scrutiny of Modi government’s pro-Israel posture, particularly over questions that India is hosting individuals involved in killing Palestinians.
