Hind Rajab Foundation files US complaint against Israeli officer over Gaza girl's death

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgium-based pro-Palestinian organization that pursues legal action against IDF soldiers and Israeli officials abroad, called on the US Justice Department on Monday to arrest an Israeli citizen identified by the initials S.G., whom it claims is currently in the United States, over his alleged involvement in the death of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in Gaza.The organization, which seeks to prosecute IDF soldiers and senior Israeli officials when they travel abroad, has identified S.G. as a "potentially responsible party" in the girl's killing. The foundation is named after Rajab.This time, the organization's request has an enthusiastic supporter: Democratic US Congresswoman and attorney Rashida Tlaib.Tlaib, 50, is the eldest of 14 children born to Palestinian immigrant parents. Her mother is from Beit Ur al-Fauqa, near Ramallah, while her father is from the Beit Hanina neighborhood of east Jerusalem.Tlaib called on the US Justice Department to investigate and arrest "the Israeli soldier who is currently in the United States.""The commander of the Israeli military unit likely responsible for killing 5-year-old Hind Rajab is currently in the United States," Tlaib wrote in an X/Twitter post. "As a party to the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions, the US government is obligated to arrest and investigate him for these war crimes and acts of genocide. I stand with the Hind Rajab Foundation in calling on the Justice Department to comply with the law and take action."The commander of the Israeli military unit likely responsible for killing 5-year-old Hind Rajab is currently in the U.S. As a party to the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions, our government is obligated to arrest and investigate him for these war crimes and acts of genocide. I stand with @HindRFoundation in calling on the DOJ to follow the law and take action.— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) October 19, 2026Tlaib faces criticism from fellow Democrats over anti-Israel statementsTlaib has previously faced sharp criticism from the White House and members of her own party over her statements against Israel.Three years ago, the House of Representatives approved a formal resolution censuring her, partly over a video she published that included the slogan "From the river to the sea," which many Jews regard as a call for Israel's elimination.Tlaib rejected accusations of antisemitism at the time, arguing that the slogan expressed an "aspiration for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence."Foundation alleges Israeli officer commanded tank unit near Rajab's vehicleThe Brussels-based foundation claims that S.G. served in the IDF as a company commander in the 52nd Armored Battalion of the 401st Brigade.At the center of its complaint is the death of Hind Rajab in early 2024, alongside members of her family and two Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics who attempted to rescue her.According to the organization, the 52nd Battalion was the only armored unit operating in the area, and S.G.'s company was positioned several hundred meters from the family's vehicle.The foundation claims forensic analyses, geolocated photographs, and material S.G. published on social media indicate he issued the order to open fire.The organization further accuses the unit under his command of unlawful killings, torture, the illegal transfer of populations, and the destruction of civilian property and infrastructure without military justification.The complaint refers, among other incidents, to operations at the Shifa compound, the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the Zeitoun neighborhood, and the Rafah crossing.According to the foundation, S.G.'s public statements support its demand for an investigation.The foundation has not indicated that the US Justice Department has responded to the complaint.