Palestine Group Launches Global Hunt For Israeli Soldiers (Worthy News Investigation)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – A Belgium-based group named after a Palestinian girl it claims was killed by Israel’s military in Gaza has launched a global hunt for Israeli troops and others, including Christians, accused of “war crimes” against Palestinians, a Worthy News investigation shows.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a branch of the Palestinian March 30 Movement, confirmed it referred the names of roughly 1,000 Israeli soldiers and officers to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands.
They are part of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which the HRF prefers to call “Israeli Occupation Forces”. The Israelis are wanted for “war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Gaza, Palestine. These individuals, all of whom have been identified by name, are accused of participating in systematic attacks against civilians during the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the HRF said.
“This complaint, supported by over 8,000 pieces of verifiable evidence—including videos, audio recordings, forensic reports, and social media documentation—demonstrates the soldiers’ direct involvement in these atrocities. All of the named soldiers were located in Gaza during the genocidal assault, and the evidence reveals their participation in violations of international law,” the group added in remarks obtained by Worthy News.
The HRF pursues the soldiers worldwide. In one of the latest cases, the group announced over the weekend that it had filed complaints in Finland, Denmark, and Norway against an IDF soldier, alleging war crimes.
A similar complaint was recently lodged in Sweden, with HRF warning authorities that the soldier might attempt to cross borders into neighboring countries. “We call on these countries to prevent the soldier from escaping justice,” the organization said.
The cases highlight an increasing trend of legal actions against IDF soldiers overseas, with HRF’s founders actively pursuing cases. Recently, an IDF soldier fled Brazil after it backed a legal complaint there and ordered his arrest.
ISRAEL ANGRY
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli condemned the move, saying: “The findings from our ministry’s research expose the true face of the ‘human rights’ organization Hind Rajab Foundation, led by clear Hezbollah activists who support terror. It’s sad but not surprising that Lula’s [President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s] hostile government in Brazil adopted the unfortunate conclusions of this dubious organization whose face was exposed today, but Lula doesn’t represent the spirit of the Brazilian people, who mostly love Israel and despise terror organizations. I thank my friend, [Brazilian] House Representative Eduardo Bolsonaro, who joined the fight against terror supporters.”
Similar HRF actions have recently targeted Israeli soldiers in other countries such as Chile, Argentina, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, according to a Worthy News list using several sources.
Worthy News obtained the identities of some wanted individuals but did not publish them as they have not been convicted by independent courts yet and could face retribution.
Additionally, Worthy News learned that the HRF has launched legal actions against the Netherlands-based charity Stichting Christenen voor Israel (“Foundation Christians for Israel”), which supports the Jewish nation, and ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
The HRF accused the two Dutch entities “of providing “financial and logistical support to unauthorized settlements in the Palestinian territories.” The group also expressed support for other lawsuits targeting various Dutch entities and individuals, including Mark Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister and current chief of the NATO military alliance, for their alleged involvement “in human rights violations during the Gaza genocide of 2023 and 2024.”
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant face war crimes charges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), rights
The Hind Rajab Foundation, in partnership with the March 30 Movement, has taken an urgent legal step to combat rising instances of hate-fueled violence in Europe. Following disturbing incidents in Amsterdam, the two organizations have submitted a formal criminal complaint to the Amsterdam Public Prosecutor’s Office, seeking immediate action against supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv who have reportedly engaged in acts of incitement, violence, and vandalism.
ISRAELI PREMIER
It also backs ongoing cases against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes charges from the ICC and cases against U.S. President Joe Biden.
The HRF also “took a firm stance” against Colonel Moshe Tetro’s appointment as Israel’s military attaché to Belgium.
It cited his direct involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during his tenure as the head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration for the Gaza Strip (CLA).
He has vehemently denied wrongdoing. Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, added that “Israel acts according to international law. There was no objection to his appointment, and he received full diplomatic accreditation.”
Additionally, HRD has named Israeli government officials such as ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel Katz, and May Golan in “war crimes” cases, as well as senior military figures such as army chief Herzi Halevi, air force head Tomer Bar, military intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, and Shin Bet security agency head Ronen Bar.
The HRF and its affiliated March 30 Movement also search for supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv after recent violence in Amsterdam where they “engaged in acts of incitement, violence, and vandalism.”
Dutch officials said those were isolated incidents during what some called “the first pogrom” in the Netherlands since World War Two when Jews were “hunted” by mainly Muslim Morrocan youth.
MARCH 30 MOVEMENT
HRF, an offshoot of the pro-Palestinian March 30 Movement, was established last year by two Lebanese nationals, Dyab Abou Jahjah and Karim Hassoun, now residing in Belgium.
“When I decided to pursue justice against Israeli war criminals, I understood the consequences,” said HRF founder Abou Jahjah in a statement on social media monitored by Worthy News.
“As a father, husband, and teacher, this decision was not an easy one. My responsibilities to my family and my students weigh heavily on me. In recent days, following Israeli threats, I’ve taken time to reflect deeply once more. My resolve remains unchanged,” he added.
Israeli sources have challenged the innocent family father image they suggest he wants to portray about himself.
Abou Jahjah, born in Hanin, southern Lebanon, joined Iran-backed Hezbollah in his youth and underwent military training, according to Israeli sources familiar with his situation.
He became a Belgian citizen in 1996 and founded the Arab European League (AEL) in 2000 to promote Arab nationalism, anti-Zionism, and Nasserism.
While the league claimed to support the integration of Muslims in Europe, it faced legal challenges, including a 2010 Dutch court ruling against it for publishing perceived antisemitic content.
VOCAL CRITIC
Abou Jahjah has long been a vocal critic of Israel, filing war crimes complaints against Israeli leaders, including former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in 2002.
Israeli commentators say he had been known for his “extreme views” and was barred from entering Britain in 2003 as he frequently expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Both groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by Britain and other allies of Israel.
During the Gaza war, he encouraged his followers to identify IDF soldiers with European citizenship to facilitate legal action.
Hassoun, a Lebanese-born Belgian resident, has chaired the AEL since 2005.
In 2009, he dismissed recognizing Israel as a sovereign nation, comparing such an outcome to the late terrorist Osama Bin Laden becoming U.S. president.
He previously published a cartoon suggesting Jews fabricated the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, in which six million Jewish people died.
DEFENDING HAMAS
Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, Hassoun defended Hamas and criticized them for not taking more hostages.
Hassoun was elected to the Willebroek city council in Belgium’s city of Antwerp but was barred from serving due to pressure from local Jewish groups, citing his perceived antisemitic record and open support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Worthy News learned that he was later removed from his political party to facilitate the formation of the city council coalition.
The foundation says it was named after Hind Rajab, “a five-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza,” while a “Hind Wall” with her image elsewhere on the HRF website mentions her as six years old.
“As her family sought to escape the relentless bombardment in Tel al-Hawa, their car was mercilessly targeted by an Israeli tank in an attack that can only be described as a war crime,” the HRF claimed.
“Hind survived the initial barrage, only to be left alone in the blood-soaked car, surrounded by the bodies of her loved ones. Her desperate cries for help, as she begged for rescue on the phone with emergency services, moved hearts worldwide. The ambulance that was sent to save her, after hours of negotiation, was obliterated by the Israeli army, ensuring that Hind’s life was cruelly and deliberately extinguished,” the group said.
Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilians and accused Hamas of using ambulances and other vehicles to transport its weapons and fighters. It also says that Hamas provoked the war after the group killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israeli authorities are concerned that the HRF hunt for soldiers and its active involvement in publishing their names could compromise their safety.
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