DayofPal– An international storm is brewing in Colombia, where a criminal complaint has been filed against an Israeli-French sniper accused of participating in grave human rights violations during Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgium-based pro-Palestinian advocacy group, announced Wednesday that it has submitted a detailed criminal dossier to the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, demanding the immediate investigation and arrest of Gabriel Ben Haim, a dual national and active-duty sniper in the Israeli military.
According to the complaint, Ben Haim served within the Refaim sniper unit, a lethal force operating under Israel’s elite 35th Paratroopers Brigade.
The HRF says the unit has waged a “systematic campaign” of atrocities in Gaza’s densely populated neighborhoods, including Tal al-Hawa and Khan Younis, during Israel’s latest military campaign.
According to HRF, Israeli army’s fire against unarmed civilians, including rescuers rushing to aid the wounded, the targeting and killing of medical personnel, the destruction of hospitals and civilian homes without military justification, and a chilling culture of so-called “sniper competitions” where soldiers allegedly celebrated kill counts and shared footage of civilian executions as trophies of war.
Ben Haim’s personal connection to these crimes is supported by a dossier of evidence, the HRF asserts, including geolocated videos, social media activity, satellite imagery, and eyewitness testimonies.
“He was not an isolated actor,” the complaint stresses. “He operated within a unit executing a coordinated strategy of extrajudicial killings and terror against the civilian population.”
Further intensifying concerns, Ben Haim has recently surfaced in Colombia. His social media posts, some geotagged, place him in tourist hotspots such as Cartagena and the lush Cocora Valley.
The HRF has raised urgent alarms over the possibility he may attempt to flee the country to escape legal action.
“There is a clear and present risk of flight,” the Foundation warned in its statement, calling for Colombian authorities to launch a full investigation, issue an immediate arrest warrant, and place Ben Haim under preventive detention.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, named in memory of a young Palestinian girl killed during Israel’s assault on Gaza, has emerged at the forefront of legal efforts to pursue accountability for alleged Israeli war crimes. The complaint against Ben Haim marks one of the most direct international legal challenges yet to individuals responsible for atrocities in Gaza.
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