NewzSecond Israeli soldier accused of Gaza war crimes leaves India after complaint An Israeli soldier accused of war crimes in the Gaza Strip has left India weeks after the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a criminal complaint against him in August, a lawyer close to the case told Middle East Eye. The soldier, whose identity has not been made public, left the country in mid-September, the lawyer said. It remains unclear whether his departure was prompted by the complaint or whether his holiday had simply ended.
News of his departure comes as Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar called on states to respect international law for multilateralism to function effectively, even as New Delhi faces criticism for failing to pursue complaints against Israeli soldiers accused of war crimes who were visiting India. "Multilateralism will be best served when international law, rules and norms are scrupulously observed," Jaishankar said at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The soldier was the second former service member accused of war crimes to be found vacationing in India.
In June, HRF filed a complaint against Eitan Gilboa, a soldier with Israel's 271st Combat Engineering Battalion, for demolishing civilian property in Gaza. Days after the complaint was filed, Gilboa reportedly left the country. At least 248,866 Palestinians have been either killed or injured since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
India under scrutiny In its second filing in mid-August, HRF said the former service member may have been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide. The organisation said the soldier had documented his personal involvement in the unlawful destruction of civilian property during operations in the Khan Younis Governorate between March and April 2024. Satellite footage obtained by HRF showed that Israeli forces had carried out the destruction of civilian homes after…
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