The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a complaint in Italy against an Israel Defense Forces soldier, who is on vacation in Tuscany, accusing him of involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide during the war in Gaza.
According to the foundation, soldier Yonatan Chalich would have been involved in three episodes during his service in Gaza, from October 2023 to August 2024: the siege and destruction of Al-Shifa hospital, the burning of the Haj Hamdi Harzallah mosque in the Nasser neighborhood, and the destruction of Palestine Square in Gaza City.
The organization has asked Italian authorities to open an investigation, claiming that Chalich himself documented his presence in the Al-Shifa hospital complex during the March-April 2024 operation. According to World Health Organization assessments, cited by the foundation, the structure suffered severe damage and was rendered inoperable.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, based in Belgium, was created eight months after the death of Hind Rajab, the 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024. The organization collects evidence, videos, photographs, social media posts, testimonies and satellite imagery to file complaints against Israeli soldiers in countries that have signed the Rome Statute.
According to Italian media, during 2026 the foundation filed two other complaints in Italy against Israeli soldiers who were on vacation, but without any concrete consequences so far. A similar case in Brazil brought a stronger reaction, as authorities ordered the police to investigate and take action against the suspect.
