Palestinian Rights Group Files Second War Crimes Complaint Against an Israeli Soldier Vacationing in India

The Hind Rajab Foundation filed a war crimes complaint in India on Tuesday against an Israeli soldier it has not named, accusing him of directly participating in the deliberate demolition of civilian property in Gaza's Khan Younis Governorate.

It is the second such complaint the foundation has brought against an Israeli soldier traveling in India, and it follows a familiar route: the country has become a popular post-service destination for Israelis, many of whom travel the so-called "hummus trail" through Indian towns and states after completing mandatory military duty.

What the Complaint Alleges

HRF says the soldier was directly involved in the unlawful destruction of homes in Abasan al-Saghira, in Khan Younis, between March and April 2024. The organization says his conduct may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide.

To build the case, HRF says it relied on satellite imagery, social media footage, and other open-source material to reconstruct the timeline of the demolitions. The group argues the evidence shows the destruction was deliberate rather than incidental to combat, a distinction that matters under international humanitarian law. HRF says the pattern it documented lines up with Amnesty International's own findings on Israel's "buffer zone" destruction along Gaza's eastern perimeter, and reflects the continued expansion of what has become known as the "Yellow Line" inside Gaza.

A Repeat Complaint, and a Government That Did Nothing

This is not HRF's first attempt to use Indian courts against a visiting Israeli soldier. In June, the foundation filed a complaint against Eitan Gilboa, a member of Israel's 271st Combat Engineering Battalion, who had posted images and video celebrating his unit "turning entire neighbourhoods in Gaza into ash and dust."

The Indian government took no action. Gilboa later left the country.

The lawyer who filed the new complaint on HRF's behalf, who spoke to Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity, said India has binding obligations under the Geneva Conventions that it cannot sidestep. "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 said, adding that "where there are credible allegations of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, India must act."

HRF's general director, Dyab Abou Jahjah, said in a statement that the foundation "exists to ensure that no one who participates in genocide escapes justice."

Why India Matters Here

The complaints land in a country whose government has become one of Israel's steadiest diplomatic partners since October 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials have repeatedly praised New Delhi's support. India has not backed South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, has not joined calls for an arms embargo, and Indian companies have continued supplying Israel with military components, according to reporting cited by Middle East Eye.

That backdrop is precisely what makes India a test case for HRF's broader strategy: filing complaints in whatever country an accused soldier happens to be passing through, betting that at least one government will eventually act where Israel's own justice system will not.