Hind Rajab Foundation Submits UK Criminal Complaint Against Israeli Soldier Over Gaza War Crimes

LONDON, Oct 27 – The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a formal criminal complaint with United Kingdom authorities against an Israeli reservist soldier, Lidor Dafna, alleging war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

In a press statement released on Sunday, the human rights organization confirmed it submitted evidence indicating that Dafna, a D9 armored bulldozer operator serving in the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, is currently in the UK.

The complaint details Dafna’s participation in military operations across Gaza and Lebanon from November 2023 onwards.

Central to the legal filing is the May 25, 2025, destruction of the Great Ocean Mills industrial flour facility situated in the Morag Corridor between Khan Younis and Rafah.

HRF submitted self-recorded social media footage published by Dafna showing a heavy armored bulldozer demolishing the facility’s vital wheat silos at a time when half a million Palestinians faced severe starvation.

HRF Director General Dyab Abou Jahjah criticized the soldier’s actions, calling on British law enforcement to fulfill their international obligations under Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention by locating, arresting, and prosecuting Dafna.

Alleged Crimes, Unit Operations, and Human Toll Breakdown

Key legal allegations, battalion actions, and broader conflict casualty figures outlined in the HRF filing include:

• Targeting Food Infrastructure: The complaint emphasizes that the destruction of Great Ocean Mills occurred during a strict blockade of food, fuel, and medical supplies, when flour prices reached US$70 per kilogram in Gaza.
• Conversion to Military Outpost: HRF reported that Israeli forces subsequently seized the destroyed mill, converted it into a military base, and used the site to fire upon civilians seeking humanitarian aid nearby.
• Widespread Infrastructure Destruction: HRF investigations revealed that the 603rd Battalion conducted over 60 controlled demolitions of civilian structures, including mosques, housing blocks, and agricultural land, to construct the Morag Corridor.
• Specific Criminal Charges: The HRF complaint cites potential individual criminal liability for unlawful destruction of property, targeting civilian objects, using starvation as a weapon of war, extermination, and genocide.
• Post-Ceasefire Casualty Figures: Despite an official ceasefire taking effect on October 10, 2025, ongoing military strikes have killed at least 1,551 Palestinians and injured 5,573 others in Gaza.
• Overall Casualties Since Oct 2023: Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and 175,000 injured since October 2023, with approximately 90 percent of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure destroyed.

–NMT