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The Hind Rajab Foundation, a pro-Palestinian non-governmental organization based in Brussels, announced Saturday it had filed a criminal complaint in Germany against a dual German-Israeli citizen who served as a tank commander in the IDF, accusing him of involvement in alleged war crimes during the war in Gaza.
According to the organization, the officer, who served in the 188th Armored Brigade, took part in significant combat operations in Gaza. The foundation, which published his name and photograph without concealment, claims to possess videos and images—some of which were allegedly shared by the soldier himself—showing deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, shelling of residential neighborhoods and celebratory comments regarding the destruction of urban areas. These actions, the foundation argues, constitute serious violations of the Geneva Conventions.
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Footage of burning civilian vehicle cited by Hind Tajab Foundation as evidence for war crimes in Gaza
One video purportedly shows a civilian vehicle engulfed in flames in what appears to be a school courtyard, following a strike by a Merkava tank. Other footage allegedly shows the soldier’s unit shelling residential buildings in civilian areas, “in violation of international humanitarian law principles of distinction and proportionality,” the foundation said.
The Hind Rajab Foundation maintains that because the soldier holds German citizenship, Germany has legal grounds to prosecute him under international law. It also argues that even if he were not a citizen, his presence on German soil obligates authorities to act under the principle of universal jurisdiction, enshrined in Germany’s Code of Crimes Against International Law (VStGB).
“The refusal to open an investigation is a political decision, not a legal one,” said Diab Abu Jahjah, chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “Germany has both the authority and the legal obligation to act. Failure to do so signals that some individuals enjoy protection not under the law, but due to geopolitical considerations.”
The organization called on German civil society, legal professionals and human rights groups to pressure federal prosecutors to launch an investigation. “Crimes against humanity cannot go unanswered—regardless of the identity of the perpetrator or the location of the crimes,” it said.
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Founded in September 2024 and named after Hind Rajab—a Palestinian child reportedly killed by Israeli fire during the Iron Swords War—the foundation is a branch of the March 30 Movement, which has been active for more than three decades in pursuing legal action against IDF soldiers.
The Hind Rajab Foundation collects open-source data from online platforms to track the military activity of IDF soldiers, aiming to initiate legal proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. To date, it claims to have filed complaints against dozens of soldiers in eight different countries and has submitted documentation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleging war crimes by over 1,000 Israeli soldiers and officers during operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Hind Rajab Foundation is not alone in these efforts. Earlier this month, a group named Israel Exposed published 350 gigabytes of what it described as evidence of IDF war crimes. Some of the content was reportedly gathered from social media, where soldiers had posted videos and photos—often with their faces clearly visible.