Hind Rajab Foundation Files Criminal Complaint in Vietnam Against Israeli Reservist Matan Girafi

The Hind Rajab Foundation filed a criminal complaint with Vietnamese authorities against Israeli reservist Matan Girafi, accusing him of involvement in the destruction of civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

“The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a criminal complaint with Vietnamese authorities against an Israeli reservist”

شبكة يافا الإخبارية

The foundation said the complaint targets Girafi, CEO of the Israeli NGO Im Tirtzu, and linked him to Battalion 920 of the Israeli military’s 769th Brigade.

Al-Jazirah Net

It alleged that evidence submitted to Vietnamese authorities shows Girafi participated in operations involving the destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip between December 2023 and January 2024, and military operations in Lebanon between October and November 2024.

The foundation also cited public statements attributed to Girafi, including a February 2024 claim that civilians in Gaza were “part of Hamas” and a call for “no mercy” toward them.

Hind Rajab Foundation litigation head Natasha Brack said Vietnam, as a state party to the Geneva Conventions and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, has a legal obligation to investigate such allegations.

HRF’s complaint frames the allegations as war crimes, genocide, and incitement to genocide during Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and southern Lebanon, and it urged Vietnam to detain Jerafi and investigate him.

Yeni Safak English quoted HRF Director-General Dyab Abu Jahjah saying, "Matan Jerafi's culpability extends far beyond his direct participation in war crimes and acts of genocide on the ground."

Middle East Monitor

Yeni Safak English also quoted HRF head of Litigation Natacha Bracq saying, "it is unacceptable that Matan Jerafi is vacationing among the Vietnamese people after having actively participated in and publicly incited the genocide of Palestinians."

In the same legal push, the Hind Rajab Foundation said it was calling on Vietnamese authorities to detain Jerafi and investigate him under universal jurisdiction, and it argued Vietnam has a duty to investigate and prosecute individuals present on its territory regardless of where the crimes occurred.

The foundation’s case rests on cited statements, including HRF quoting Jerafi as saying on Feb. 1, 2024, "Gaza's civilians are part of Hamas. We must not have mercy on them," and on July 9, 2025 that "there shouldn't be an agreement without emigration," in reference to displacement.

As the legal complaint proceeds, an Israeli Foreign Ministry warning told its citizens in Greece not to reveal details that could disclose their Israeli or Jewish identity amid expectations of protests tied to Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

The warning urged Israelis to stay away from protest sites and gatherings, to avoid contact or confrontation with demonstrators, and not to post their location on social media in real time.

The report said Athens and Thessaloniki, along with several Greek islands and tourist destinations, were preparing to host demonstrations and protest events related to the war in the Gaza Strip, with expectations of large numbers of participants.

In parallel, the Hind Rajab Foundation’s complaint in Vietnam was described as part of a series of legal actions led by the foundation in several countries against Israeli soldiers over alleged violations of international law during the war in Gaza.

The same account said the foundation calls on authorities in countries where Israeli soldiers or military officials suspected of war crimes are present to open investigations based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which it described as allowing some countries to investigate serious international crimes regardless of where they were committed or the nationality of the perpetrators and victims.