“Despite the visual and testimonial evidence submitted, the German Prosecution has so far refused to open an investigation—failing to apply both German national law and its obligations under international law.”
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint in Germany against a German-Israeli dual national who serves in the Israeli army for his involvement in war crimes committed in Gaza.
Barel Kriel, who is a tank commander according to HRF, “served in the 188th Armored Brigade (Barak Brigade) of the IDF, a unit that has been heavily involved in operations in the Gaza Strip,” the Belgium-based rights group said in a statement on Saturday.”
The #HindRajabFoundation has filed a legal complaint in Germany against Barel Kriel, a German-Israeli tank commander. Among other crimes, Kriel bombed a civilian car in Gaza and filmed it burning, with its occupants still inside.
Kriel is currently on German soil, yet the… pic.twitter.com/E3T0o0RtHR— The Hind Rajab Foundation (@HindRFoundation) March 29, 2025
However, the organization noted, “Despite the visual and testimonial evidence submitted, the German Prosecution has so far refused to open an investigation—failing to apply both German national law and its obligations under international law.”
Video and Photo Evidence
It said that verified videos and images—many recorded and shared by Kriel himself—show “the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, and the glorification of destruction in urban areas, all of which may constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.”
In one video, a civilian vehicle is seen burning in a schoolyard-like setting, targeted by a Merkava tank’s gunnery system, the statement said, adding that “No military threats or combatants are present.” Other footage captures Kriel’s unit shelling residential buildings in civilian zones.
These were “actions that clearly violate the principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law,” HRF emphasized.
Our @AJIunit investigation exposes war crimes in Gaza through the medium of photos and videos posted online by Israeli soldiers themselves during the year-long conflict.
Watch the full film here. #GazaCrimes pic.twitter.com/0eVaGTsZcv
— Al Jazeera Investigations (@AJIunit) October 3, 2024
The organization slammed Germany’s “refusal to investigate,” saying it was “even more alarming” considering that Kriel holds German citizenship.
It said, “This fact alone firmly establishes German jurisdiction under its domestic laws, which allow prosecution of German nationals for international crimes committed abroad.”
‘Political Decision’
“The refusal of the German prosecution to act is a political decision, not a legal one,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, Chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “Germany has both the jurisdiction and the legal obligation to investigate. By failing to do so, it is signaling that some perpetrators of war crimes enjoy protection—not because of the law, but because of geopolitics.”
HRF pointed out that even if Kriel were not a German citizen, “his presence on German soil would still trigger Germany’s duty to investigate under the principle of universal jurisdiction, as enshrined in the German Code of Crimes against International Law (VStGB).”
The rights group said that Germany’s “selective application of international law not only erodes its credibility as a defender of human rights but also emboldens impunity,” adding that the “principle of universal jurisdiction was established to prevent precisely this type of selective justice, where political interests override legal responsibility.”
HRF called on German civil society, legal experts, and human rights organizations to demand that the German prosecution fulfill its legal obligations.
“War crimes must not be ignored—regardless of who commits them or where they are committed,” it stated.
Case Filed in Nepal
On Monday, HRF announced that it had officially filed a formal request with the Nepalese authorities to immediately arrest and extradite an Israeli soldier for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in Gaza.
Lieutenant Amit Nechmya, a platoon commander in the Latak Platoon of the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion (435), was “currently vacationing in Nepal in an apparent attempt to evade justice,” HRF said in a statement.
In January, HRF filed a case in Buenos Aires where Nechmya was vacationing, charging him with multiple grave violations under international law.
“Since then, new evidence has emerged confirming Nechmya’s efforts to destroy critical proof of his involvement in war crimes committed in Gaza, further underlining the urgency of his apprehension,” the organization said.
In October last year, HRF filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against 1,000 Israeli soldiers for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza.
Staggering Death Toll
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israeli forces admitted to firing on ambulances in Gaza, claiming they were “suspicious.” https://t.co/xIj8w2uSf8 pic.twitter.com/yShLRmcrDU
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 29, 2025
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Well, the prosecutor by his refusal is thereby willingly complicit in the crimes of this German-Israeli “soldier”, Barel Kriel.