The bodies of victims of the October 31, 2023 Israeli bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip are lined up outside the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza City.
Historic ICC War Crimes Complaint Names 1,000 Israeli Soldiers
"This complaint is not only the largest ever submitted to the ICC, but it is also a milestone in documenting Israeli war crimes for future generations."
A Belgium-based advocacy group on Tuesday announced it "filed an unprecedented and historic complaint with the International Criminal Court against 1,000 Israeli occupation forces soldiers for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Gaza," where more than 150,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded and millions more displaced, starved, and sickened by Israel's yearlong onslaught.
The Hind Rajab Foundation—named after the 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in January along with half a dozen relatives and rescue workers by Israeli troops invading Gaza in retaliation for the October 2023 Hamas-led attack—said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel identified by name in the International Criminal Court (ICC) complaint "are accused of participating in systematic attacks against civilians during the ongoing genocide in Gaza."
"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," the group explained. "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 foundation accuses Israeli forces of:
- Destruction of civilian infrastructure: Targeted attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets, mosques, and other civilian infrastructure.
- Illegal occupation and looting: Soldiers were documented occupying civilian homes, looting personal belongings, and exploiting occupied properties.
- Participation in the Gaza blockade: The soldiers played an active role in enforcing a blockade that deprived civilians of essential goods such as food, water, and medical supplies.
- Targeting civilians: Audio and video evidence show soldiers deliberately attacking noncombatant individuals, including medical personnel and journalists.
- Use of inhumane warfare tactics: Indiscriminate bombing campaigns, starvation, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure were all part of their actions.
The IDF soldiers identified in the complaint include at least 12 American, 12 French, four Canadian, three British, and two Dutch nationals.
"This complaint is not only the largest ever submitted to the ICC, but it is also a milestone in documenting Israeli war crimes for future generations," the Hind Rajab Foundation said. "By meticulously identifying the perpetrators and detailing their crimes, we are establishing a historical record that will ensure the individuals responsible are remembered and held accountable."
"The submission of this complaint represents a significant moment in the fight for justice," the group continued. "We honor the memory of Hind Rajab and the countless victims who have perished in the ongoing genocide. Their stories will not be forgotten, and their voices will be heard through our persistent legal action."
The foundation added that the complaint "supports the efforts" of International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan—who is seeking to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders—and "pushes for immediate action, including the issuance of arrest warrants for those responsible."
"We believe this complaint marks a turning point in the global fight to bring justice to Palestine," the group asserted.
The complaint's filing came amid Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, for which the U.S.-backed ally is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice. In recent weeks, Israel has escalated
attacks on Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere, killing and injuring
thousands of people and threatening to plunge the Middle East into a
wider war.
The filing also came on the same day that Sky News published an investigation confirming that IDF officials lied when repeatedly claiming there were no Israeli troops near the site of Rajab's killing at the time of the attack. The British network published satellite images showing numerous IDF vehicles nearby and interviewed military experts who identified damage done by bullets and tank rounds to the vehicle in which the family was traveling.
The car was hit multiple times. Hind Rajab and her 15-year-old cousin Layan were the last survivors. In one recorded phone conversation with Rajab's mother before the two children were killed Layan said, "The tanks are next to us."
Hamas has no tanks.
The Sky News investigation was at least the second journalistic probe that concluded Israeli officials are not telling the truth about the attack.
In June, the U.K. research agency Forensic Architecture collaborated with Al Jazeera journalists and the advocacy group Earshot to publish an analysis
that found Israeli tank fire likely fired the bullets that killed
Rajab, her relatives, and two paramedics trying to rescue them in an
ambulance that was blown to pieces despite receiving IDF permission to
proceed with the rescue shortly before being attacked.