Hind Rajab filed a legal complaint against an IDF soldier in Spain

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed another war crimes complaint against an IDF soldier in Barcelona, the organization announced on its website on Saturday.

The Belgian group has filed numerous complaints over the past few months, most recently against soldiers in Thailand and Sweden, COGAT chief Major General Hasan Alyan in Rome and many others.

In early 2025, Brazilian authorities decided to issue an arrest warrant for an Israeli soldier on leave based on a complaint by HRF. The soldier was later was forced to flee from Brazil to Argentinabefore returning to Israel via Miami.

The complaint in Barcelona was filed against Sergeant A of the Givati Brigade, whom the HRF accuses of “genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”.

“The actions of Sergeant A and his platoon demonstrate systematic violations of international humanitarian law against civilians and protected infrastructure,” HRF said.

IDF soldiers raid a 14-story building at the UNRWA base in the Gaza Strip filled with Hamas terrorists, October 22, 2024.

The complaint was filed jointly with the Palestinian Community in Catalonia, which posted on its social media that the complaint was filed based on evidence that Sergeant A “targeted a UN school with a grenade launcher, destroyed civilian homes and fired indiscriminately at civilians.” in Gaza”.

On its website, HRF provides extensive evidence of Sergeant A’s “crimes” between January and March 2024.

This includes the following: the alleged military use of a civilian building in Gaza on January 15, 2024; the use of a grenade launcher to attack a clearly marked UN school in Gaza City; controlled demolition of two civilian houses in Khan Yunis on February 29, 2024; and the indiscriminate shooting of civilian homes while cheering on fellow service members.

The organization also accuses Sergeant A’s platoon of forcibly relocating Gaza’s civilian population.

Legal framework

According to the complaint, the above incidents are evidence of violations of international and Spanish law.

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According to Article 608 of the Spanish Penal Code, an attack on a school is a war crime.

It is worth noting that Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza often use UN and other schools for military purposes. In just two months from August to October 2024, the IDF carried out almost twenty airstrikes on Hamas command centers in schools in Gaza.

Under international law, a hospital or school can become a legitimate military target if it is used by the enemy for military action.

The UN states: “Schools used for military purposes by a party to the conflict may be considered targets that may be lawfully attacked by the opposing party to the conflict.”

HRF’s complaint also refers to Spanish law articles 607 (crimes of genocide) and 607 bis (crimes against humanity), which are consistent with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

According to Article 23.4 of its Basic Law 6/1985, Spain has jurisdiction to prosecute a foreign national residing in Spain for genocide and other international crimes.

“The Hind Rajab Foundation calls on the Spanish authorities to take immediate action by investigating and arresting Sergeant A to ensure that he is brought to justice for the atrocities committed,” HRF said.

The soldier’s name has been redacted to protect the soldier’s security and identification.