Rights group calls on US to prosecute Israeli soldier in Texas
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has urged the US Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations to arrest and prosecute Israeli soldier Yuval Shatel for “war crimes” committed in the Gaza Strip.
The HRF said the soldier, who was last seen in the southern state of Texas, served as a sergeant in the Givati Brigade of the Israeli military.
During his deployment in Gaza, he “allegedly took part in the deliberate destruction of civilian homes, schools, and places of worship—acts prohibited by both U.S. and international law”, it said.
“Publicly posted videos from Shatel’s own Instagram account show him detonating an apartment block in Khan Younis and celebrating its destruction. Other footage shows him involved in the demolition of the Tiberias Primary School and the Hassan al-Banna Mosque—both protected civilian structures with no military use,” it said.
The Belgium-based NGO was formed last year and has pulled together lawyers and activists from around the world to prepare cases against Israeli soldiers based on social media content shared by the soldiers themselves.
Thousands protest across US against Trump’s Gaza, immigration policies
Thousands of people have staged protests across the US, including in the capital, Washington, DC, and New York, to voice their opposition to Trump’s policies, including his support for the war in Gaza, the immigration deportations, and several other contentious issues.
Outside the White House, protesters carried banners that read “Stop arming Israel”, “Workers should have the power”, and “Due process”.
Some protesters, wearing keffiyeh scarves, waved Palestinian flags and chanted “free Palestine” to express solidarity with Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Gaza.
They have also denounced the recent detentions of several people, who held residence permits and student visas, for expressing their opposition to the Israeli military offensive in Gaza and the continued US financing of the war.
Thousands of people march during a rally in New York
