SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) on Monday, September 21, filed a criminal complaint in Italy against Israeli soldier Yonatan Chalich over alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide committed during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
According to the HRF, named after the five-year-old Palestinian girl shot dead by Israeli soldiers, Chalich is currently in Tuscany, Italy, on vacation.
The alleged acts took place while Chalich served under the 401st Armored Brigade with the Tycoon Company of the “elite” Givat Shaked Battalion, the organisation said.
Citing its investigation documents, the Brussels-based organisation said the Israeli soldier was likely involved in three specific incidents between October 2023 and August 2024 during his deployment in Gaza. “His conduct includes participation in the siege and destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital in March-April 2024, the attack on the Haj Hamdi Harzallah mosque in late December 2023, and the destruction of Palestine Square in December 2023,” HRF said.
Al-Shifa Hospital attack, mosque burned, and destruction of neighbourhood
Describing the March 2024 attack on Al-Shifa Hospital, the HRF said Israeli forces stormed and occupied the medical complex, causing “extensive destruction, leaving the facility non-functional and in ruins.”
Regarding the burning of Haj Hamdi Harzallah mosque, the HRF said images from late December 2023 portray members of the Tycoon Company waving a Palestinian flag inside the mosque while it burned. The mosque, located in the al-Nasr neighbourhood of Gaza City, was reportedly targeted by Israeli forces who, after taking control of the religious place, took photos while flames engulfed the building.
The third incident involving Chalich, according to the HRF, was the destruction of Palestine Square in Gaza City on December 5, 2023. The Israeli forces “systematically destroyed” the neighbourhood around the commercial centre, with tanks, bulldozers, and fire. They later demolished the remaining standing building and erected an Israeli flag.
The HRF investigation detailed that Tycoon Company was “actively involved” in the three operations, while Chalich was deployed with the company.
The Hind Rajab Foundation filed a complaint with the Italian officials and called for an immediate investigation into the Israeli soldier currently in the country.
“Italy, and Tuscany in particular, is a place where solidarity with Palestine runs deep and where the demand for justice has been heard loudly,” said Dayab Abou Jahjah, HRF Director General.
“Its people should not see their land turned into a safe haven for those who destroyed Gaza and committed genocide against its people. There can be no holiday from accountability. If the evidence follows you from Gaza to Tuscany, justice must follow too,” he said.
SOURCE : SIASAT
