The Hind Rajab Foundation has identified the Israeli military unit and commander allegedly responsible for the killing of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab and her family, and has filed a war crimes complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
The lawsuit was filed on Saturday, May 3, – the day Hind would have celebrated her seventh birthday.
On January 29, 2024, the car carrying Hind and her family was struck by Israeli tank fire in Tel al-Hawa. Six relatives were killed instantly. Hind, wounded and terrified, survived for hours, whispering to dispatchers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS): “I’m so scared… please come.”
An ambulance was dispatched to rescue her but was also shelled and destroyed. Both medics inside were killed instantly. Ten days later, rescue workers discovered Hind’s body beside her cousin, Layan.
In a statement, the Belgium-based foundation, established in Hind’s memory, named Lieutenant Colonel Beni Aharon — then commander of the Israeli army’s 401st Armoured Brigade — as the principal perpetrator.
According to the foundation, the tank unit under Aharon’s command targeted the civilian vehicle and subsequently attacked the PRCS ambulance sent to save Hind..
The foundation said that its investigation had verified the identities of the battalion operating in Tel al-Hawa on January 29, 2024, including field commanders and operational officers.
“These men are no longer anonymous. They are no longer shielded by silence,” the foundation declared.
“While we initially urge the ICC Office of the Prosecutor to issue an arrest warrant for Lt. Col. Beni Aharon, we are also preparing additional legal actions against other officers in the battalion. These will be filed in national courts under universal jurisdiction. We will pursue every individual involved — those who gave the orders, those who carried them out, those who concealed the truth, and those who stood by,” the statement continued.
“Today, Hind should have been blowing out candles. Instead, we are naming her killer,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, spokesperson for the foundation. “This is only the beginning. We are coming for every name, every link in the chain — armed with the law and the truth.”
The case is supported by extensive research conducted over the past year, incorporating findings from organisations including Forensic Architecture and Sky News. The foundation has compiled a comprehensive body of evidence and is urging judicial authorities to act with urgency and determination.
Since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023, nearly 52,500 Palestinians — the majority women and children — have been killed, with thousands more injured or missing beneath the rubble of devastated cities.
In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for
alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel also faces a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
