A Belgium-based pro-Palestinian legal advocacy group has urged Indian authorities to arrest an Israeli military reservist Eitan Gilboa currently visiting Himachal Pradesh, alleging his involvement in the destruction of civilian property in Gaza that it says amounts to war crimes.
The Hind Rajab Foundation said on Tuesday it had filed complaints with local police, India’s Home Ministry and the Bureau of Immigration seeking the immediate arrest of Gilboa, an Israeli reservist whom it alleges took part in demolitions of civilian structures in the Palestinian enclave.
The foundation, which pursues legal action against individuals it accuses of committing abuses against Palestinians, said it had submitted an investigative report containing what it described as evidence that Gilboa participated in and documented the demolition of residential buildings in Gaza.
The organisation alleged that videos and social media posts linked to Gilboa showed him ordering, carrying out and celebrating the destruction of homes in the southern Gaza cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. Reuters could not independently verify the allegations.
Gilboa has not publicly responded to the claims. Israeli authorities did not immediately comment.
The foundation said the alleged actions constituted grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, international treaties governing the conduct of war and the protection of civilians. India is a signatory to the conventions.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking hostages, according to Israeli figures. Gaza health authorities say more than 75,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the conflict.
The Hind Rajab Foundation said Gilboa was born in Gaza and left the territory with his family after Israel withdrew its settlements from the enclave in 2005. It alleged that he later returned as part of Israeli military operations following the outbreak of the war.
The group said its complaint cited several incidents in which Gilboa allegedly participated in the destruction of civilian structures and argued that India has an obligation under international law to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of serious violations of the Geneva Conventions, regardless of nationality.
The organisation also argued that Gilboa’s presence in India raised questions under Article 51(c) of the Indian Constitution, which calls on the state to promote respect for international law and treaty obligations.
The allegations come amid growing international scrutiny of Israel’s conduct in Gaza. A United Nations commission of inquiry said last year that Israel had committed acts amounting to genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a finding Israel rejected as false and biased.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel has rejected the accusations.
Indian authorities have not publicly commented on the foundation’s complaint.
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