Israeli soldier visiting India accused of war crimes in Gaza's Khan Younis
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a war crimes complaint in India against an Israeli soldier accused of deliberately demolishing civilian property in Gaza.
The complaint, filed on Tuesday, is the second brought by the HRF against an Israeli soldier visiting India.
In June, the organisation filed a complaint against Eitan Gilboa, a soldier with Israel's 271st Combat Engineering Battalion.
Gilboa had shared images of his battalion "turning entire neighbourhoods in Gaza into ash and dust" and 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 alleged direct involvement in the unlawful destruction of civilian property in Abasan al-Saghira, in the Khan Younis Governorate, between March and April 2024.
HRF 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 told Middle East Eye 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 asked not to be named, said.
"The obligation is clear: where there are credible allegations of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, India must act," the lawyer added.
Destruction of civilian infrastructure
Since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, around 250,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured in Israel's genocide in Gaza.
Around 82 percent of all structures in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, while 90 percent of its energy infrastructure has been demolished.
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.
It said the evidence showed that the buildings were deliberately demolished rather than destroyed during active warfare.
The organisation said the pattern aligned with Amnesty International’s independent findings regarding the “buffer zone” destruction along Gaza’s eastern perimeter.
It said the demolitions also reflected the continuing expansion of the “Yellow Line” into Gaza.
Tens of thousands of Israelis travel to India each year after completing their mandatory service.
Many of these former conscripts follow what is commonly known as the “hummus trail”, which passes through several towns and states across the country.
"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 Israeli government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli diplomats, has repeatedly praised India’s support over the past two-and-a-half years.
India has not backed South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
It has also not joined calls for an arms embargo on Israel, while Indian companies have continued to supply Israel with military components.