A human rights group has filed a war crime complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against an Israeli commander over the killing of a 6-year-old Palestinian child in the Gaza Strip.

On January 29, 2024, a car carrying Hind Rajab, 6, and six of her family members was hit by Israeli tank fire in Gaza City, killing them instantly.

The young child remained bleeding at the hit car for three hours until she took her last breath as paramedics failed to reach her due to intense Israeli fire.

'We are naming her killer'

In a Saturday statement, the Hind Rajab Foundation said it filed an ICC complaint against Lt. Col. Beni Aharon, commander of the Israeli army’s 401st Armored Brigade at the time, over the child’s killing.

“It was under Lt. Col. Aharon’s command that an Israeli tank unit attacked the civilian vehicle of Hind's family, and later destroyed the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance dispatched to rescue her,” the statement said.

“We also confirm that the battalion operating under his authority in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood on 29 January 2024 has been fully identified, along with its field commanders and operational officers. These men are no longer unknown. They are no longer protected by silence.”

The Brussels-based rights group called on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for the Israeli commander, saying that it is also preparing additional legal complaints against other officers at the Israeli battalion.

“Today, Hind should have been blowing out candles,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, the chairman of the foundation. “Instead, we are naming her killer. This is only the beginning. We are coming for every name, every link in the chain, with the law and with truth.”

Hind Rajab Foundation targets Israeli officials in global legal drive

In April, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) intensified its legal campaign by submitting a formal request to British authorities for the arrest of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who was present in London at the time.

This action, carried out in coordination with the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and supported by several doctors, was directed to both the UK Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The request called for an arrest warrant based on Sa’ar’s responsibility for war crimes committed against civilians in Gaza, given his role as a member of "Israel’s" security and political cabinet during what the foundation described as genocidal actions.

This April initiative followed HRF’s earlier legal step in January, when it filed a complaint in Barcelona, Spain, against an Israeli soldier, marking the start of its international legal efforts to hold Israeli forces accountable. Through these actions, the Hind Rajab Foundation has positioned itself as a persistent advocate for justice, working across multiple jurisdictions to challenge impunity and seek redress for Palestinian victims amid the escalating Israeli bombing in Gaza.

The harrowing Israeli killing of Hind and her family has drawn international attention to potential war crimes in Gaza. The foundation’s efforts to pursue accountability through legal mechanisms come amid broader calls to investigate the conduct of the Israeli occupation forces amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.

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