Second Israeli soldier accused of Gaza war crimes leaves India after complaint - Middle East Eye

An Israeli soldier accused of war crimes in the Gaza Strip has left India weeks after the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a criminal complaint against him in August, a lawyer close to the case told Middle East Eye.

The soldier, whose identity has not been made public, left the country in mid-September, the lawyer said.

It remains unclear whether his departure was prompted by the complaint or whether his holiday had simply ended.

News of his departure comes as Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar called on states to respect international law for multilateralism to function effectively, even as New Delhi faces criticism for failing to pursue complaints against Israeli soldiers accused of war crimes who were visiting India.

"Multilateralism will be best served when international law, rules and norms are scrupulously observed," Jaishankar said at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.

The soldier was the second former service member accused of war crimes to be found vacationing in India. 

In June, HRF filed a complaint against Eitan Gilboa, a soldier with Israel's 271st Combat Engineering Battalion, for demolishing civilian property in Gaza.

Days after the complaint was filed, Gilboa reportedly left the country.

At least 248,866 Palestinians have been either killed or injured since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

In its second filing in mid-August, HRF said the former service member may have been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

The organisation said the soldier had documented his personal involvement in the unlawful destruction of civilian property during operations in the Khan Younis Governorate between March and April 2024.

Satellite footage obtained by HRF showed that Israeli forces had carried out the destruction of civilian homes after they had already established control over the area. 

"The suspect and his unit carried out systematic destruction of homes and agricultural land in Gaza - conduct that undoubtedly violates international law," Dyab Abou Jahjah, general director at HRF, said at the time.

"This second complaint filed in India is part of our commitment and duty to bring perpetrators before the courts, and India must comply with its international obligations," Jahjah added.

The Indian government has come under increasing scrutiny for its diplomatic and military support for Israel over the course of the genocide in Gaza.

New Delhi has neither supported an arms embargo on Israel nor joined South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

India is also not a signatory to the Rome Statute, and is therefore under no obligation to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have outstanding warrants against them.

In August, Amnesty International reported that Indian state-owned and private companies had shipped at least 2,596 consignments comprising hundreds of thousands of arms, ammunition and military components to Israel during the genocide in the enclave.

The shipments, sent between 7 October 2023 and 30 November 2025, included machine-gun components, 155 mm high-explosive artillery shells supplied to Elbit Systems and explosive warheads for the SkyStriker "kamikaze" drones.

Amnesty said these amounted to hundreds of thousands of parts of ordnance, small-arms parts and components for military vehicles.

In November 2024, Jaishankar said India's military sales would be guided by India's "national interest".