Hind Rajab Foundation

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Hind Rajab Foundation
Named after Hind Rajab
FoundedSeptember 24, 2024;3 months ago (2024-09-24)
Founders Dyab Abou Jahjah and Karim Hassoun
Registration no.1013306540
HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
Website www.hindrajabfoundation.org

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) is the legal arm of the March 30 Movement, a non-profit organization established in 2024 and based in Brussels, Belgium. The HRF's mission is to address and challenge what it describes as Israeli impunity concerning alleged war crimes and human rights violations in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The foundation is named in honor of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl from the Gaza Strip who was killed during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Forces, who also killed six members of her family and two paramedics coming to her rescue. [1] [2] [3]

Leadership

The foundation is headed by Dyab Abou Jahjah and Karim Hassoun. [4] Abou Jahjah is a Belgian-Lebanese political activist and writer. He is the founder and former leader of the Arab European League (AEL), a Pan-Arabist movement that supports the interests of Muslim immigrants in Europe. [5] Hassoun is a Belgian-Lebanese political activist who has served as the chair of the AEL since 2005. [4]

Activities

Arrest warrants against Israeli soldiers and leaders

In October 2024, HRF submitted a complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging the swift issuance of warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, holding them accountable for alleged war crimes in Gaza, as well as against the entire 749 Combat Engineering battalion of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). [6] According to the organization's lawyer Haroon Raza, the group's goal is "to have everyone who is directly or indirectly responsible for war crimes and genocide in Gaza prosecuted and eventually behind bars". [7] As of January 2025, the HRF has identified and submitted the names of 1,000 Israeli soldiers to the ICC, while also pursuing legal cases in several countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, France, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the UK. [8]

Brazil

In January 2025, the HRF filed a case against IDF soldier Yuval Vagdani, who was vacationing in Brazil at the time. The HRF accused him of demolishing a residential block in Gaza outside of combat. [9] [10] [11]

Facing potential arrest, Vagdani fled to Argentina with help from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which facilitated his and his family’s “quick and secure exit from Brazil.” [12] [13] Subsequently, the HRF filed a legal case against him in Argentina. [11] After successfully departing from Argentina and returning to Israel, Vagdani expressed his surprise, stating, “They turned it from one house into 500 pages; they thought I’d murdered thousands of children, and who knows what.” [11]

Argentina

The HRF filed a legal case against Lieutenant Amit Nechmya, a platoon commander in the IDF' Givati Brigade's Rotem Battalion (435) in Argentina on 2 January 2025, accusing him and his platoon of using prisoners as human shields, looting, and forcibly displacing civilians in Gaza. Prior to this, Brazilian authorities had initiated actions against Nechmya following a complaint by the HRF. He reportedly fled Brazil to evade arrest. [11]

Chile

In December 2024, the HRF filed a complaint with Chile’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, calling for the arrest of Saar Hirshoren, an Israeli soldier and member of the Israeli Combat Engineering Battalion allegedly involved in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Gaza. The HRF argued that Chile’s commitment to the Rome Statute and its national laws obligates the country to prosecute such crimes. In response, the Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation. Hugo Gutiérrez, HRF’s legal advisor, emphasized Chile’s responsibility to act in accordance with international law. [14] Local prosecutors cited video evidence from his Instagram account, showing him participating in the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, and “his role in the deliberate demolition of neighbourhoods, cultural sites, and essential facilities”. [15]

Thailand

In December 2024, the HRF formally requested Thai authorities detain Omri Nir, an Israeli soldier who they accused of committing war crimes, including destroying civilian homes in Gaza and using a school for military purposes. [16]

Sweden

In January 2025, the HRF filed a lawsuit in Sweden against Israeli soldier Boaz Ben David, a sniper from Battalion 932 of the Nahal Brigade, for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during Israel’s war on Gaza. They accused him of directly targeting civilians, destroying homes, attacking medical facilities, and advocating for the mass killing and expulsion of Palestinians. Evidence included his social media posts, eyewitness testimonies, journalist reports, and UN documentation. [17] [18]

Sri Lanka

In December 2024, the HRF filed a complaint against Gal Ferenbook, an active-duty IDF soldier traveling in Sri Lanka, linking his social media posts to alleged war crimes in Gaza. The HRF notified the ICC and Interpol, and appealed to Sri Lankan authorities, demanding his arrest over the killing of a Palestinian civilian in Gaza. Following intervention by Israel authorities, Ferenbook left Sri Lanka. [8]

Belgium

In December 2024, the HRF filed a complaint with the Belgian government against Colonel Moshe Tetro, Israel’s incoming military attaché in Brussels, accusing him of responsibility for implementing a policy of starvation in Gaza, and of attacking hospitals. [19] [8]

Spain

Israeli sergeant Mori Keisar of the Givati Brigade faces war crime charges in Spain following a January 2025 complaint by HRF in Barcelona. The HRF demands his investigation and arrest under Spanish law and international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute. Keisar is accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes during the Gaza military operation, allegedly committed between January and March 2024. These include using civilian homes for military purposes, attacking UN marked schools with grenade launchers, demolishing civilian homes in Khan Yunis, and displacing thousands of Gazans. The complaint also implicates other platoon members, alleging systemic abuses under Lieutenant Osher Bitao’s command. [20] [21]

Criticism and reactions

In early 2025, following the announcement that a court in Brazil would investigate an Israeli soldier visiting the country at the time for war crimes, Abou Jahjah was threatened on X by Amichai Chikli, an Israeli government official. Chikli wrote "Hello, our human rights activist. Watch your pager", which Belgian media suggested was a reference to the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks. [22] [23] Israeli politician and opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the Israeli government after the IDF soldier was forced to flee Brazil to avoid arrest for fighting in Gaza. He called it a diplomatic failure, blaming weak international advocacy and lack of legal protections, which leave IDF soldiers fearing arrest abroad. Lapid urged a state inquiry and stronger public diplomacy to prevent such incidents. [24] Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded to Lapid, saying: “[... ] what we are witnessing is a systematic and anti-Semitic campaign aimed at denying Israel’s right to self-defense. Countless international actors and many countries are complicit in this.” [2]

In response to the HRF's efforts, the IDF announced that as of January 2025, it will no longer identify its forces by name in media. [25]

“Moms Up,” a mothers group representing their Israeli soldiers’ wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF Chief of Staff following the case in Brazil, saying: “We see you as the sole responsible party for removing the legal risk facing our children.” [2]

See also

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The March 30 Movement is a Belgian political activist group. Its name is a reference to Land Day, a day of commemoration for Palestinians. It has a legal branch, the Hind Rajab Foundation, named in honor of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl who was killed by Israel during the Israel–Hamas war in January 2024. The Foundation has as of early 2025 filed multiple lawsuits against people who served in the Israeli military during the war. The group is headed by Dyab Abou Jahjah and its lawyer is Haroon Raza.

References

  1. ↑ Speakman Cordall, Simon (10 January 2025). "Sense of impunity 'absolute': The NGO holding Israeli soldiers to account". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Karni, Dana; Lister, Tim (5 January 2025). "Israeli soldiers face growing risk of arrest abroad after Gaza service". CNN . Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "About Us". The Hind Rajab Foundation. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 Eichner, Itamar; Haas, Saar (11 January 2025). "Meet the founders of Hind Rajab Foundation: Who hunts for Israel's soldiers worldwide?". Ynet . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Ehrlich, Jennifer; Vandyck, Tom (16 May 2003). "'Belgian Malcolm X' seeks office". The Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Advocates launch legal push for Argentina, Chile to arrest Israeli soldier". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "France: No probe into dual-nationals serving in IDF". The Muslim News . 5 April 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Bajec, Alessandra (13 January 2025). "How Israeli soldiers abroad are facing arrest for war crimes in Gaza". The New Arab . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Bob, Yonah Jeremy; Neev, Keshet (5 January 2025). "Israeli flees Brazil to Argentina to avoid 'war crimes' arrest warrant". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Justiça determina que PF investigue soldado de Israel no Brasil". Metropoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). 4 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Sugarman, Jacob (10 January 2025). "Israeli soldier reported in Argentina for alleged war crimes in Gaza". Buenos Aires Herald . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "Israeli soldiers face growing risk of arrest abroad after serving in Gaza". NBC News . 6 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  13. ↑ Cordall, Simon Speakman (10 January 2025). "Sense of impunity 'absolute': The NGO holding Israeli soldiers to account". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  14. ↑ Pérez, Daniela (28 December 2024). "Piden la detención inmediata de militar israelí que está en la Región de Aysén: Es acusado de genocidio en Gaza" [Immediate detention of Israeli soldier in the Aysén Region requested: He is accused of genocide in Gaza]. CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "Advocates launch legal push for Argentina, Chile to arrest Israeli soldier". Al Jazeera . 26 December 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "Pro-Palestine NGO calls on Thailand to arrest Israeli soldier for war crimes". The New Arab . 1 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  17. ↑ Eichner, Itamar (9 January 2025). "Complaint filed in Sweden as attempts to persecute IDF soldiers around the world continue". Ynet . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  18. ↑ "Hind Rajab Foundation files lawsuit against Israel soldier in Sweden". Middle East Monitor . 11 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "Pro-Palestinian group files war crimes complaint against new IDF attaché in Brussels". Times of Israel . 3 December 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  20. ↑ Carrión, Francisco (19 January 2025). "Denuncian por crímenes de guerra ante la justicia española a un sargento israelí de vacaciones en Barcelona". El Independiente (in Spanish).
  21. ↑ "Una ONG belga denuncia en España a un soldado israelí por crímenes de guerra en Gaza". infobae (in European Spanish). 19 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  22. ↑ "Israeli minister tweets threats to Belgian activist". Flanders News . 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  23. ↑ "Hoe Dyab Abou Jahjah de jacht opende op Israëlische soldaten, en nu zelf in het vizier komt: 'Watch your pager'". De Morgen . 6 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  24. ↑ Azriel, Guy; Elimelech, Nadav (5 January 2025). "i24NEWS". i24 News . Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  25. ↑ Taub, Amanda (8 January 2025). "Israeli Soldiers on Vacation Are Being Investigated for War Crimes in Gaza". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 13 January 2025.
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