War crimes complaint filed in Vietnam against Israeli soldier

Legal action in Vietnam

The Hind Rajab Foundation on Saturday filed a criminal complaint with Vietnamese authorities against Israeli reservist Matan Jerafi, accusing the CEO of the Im Tirtzu organization of war crimes, genocide and incitement to genocide during Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The Brussels-based advocacy group said Jerafi served with the 920th Infantry Battalion of the 769th Brigade and documented his deployment to both Gaza and southern Lebanon, where he allegedly participated in the unlawful destruction of civilian property, according to the foundation's statement.

Alleged war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon

Evidence submitted with the complaint indicates that Jerafi participated in the destruction of civilian infrastructure in the Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps in central Gaza and in the Shujaiya and Rimal neighborhoods of Gaza City between December 2023 and January 2024.

He was subsequently transferred to southern Lebanon between October and November 2024, where he continued to destroy civilian infrastructure, the foundation stated. Israel resumed attacks on Lebanon on March 2 following a ceasefire agreement that ended the October 2023 war, though Israeli forces continue to occupy areas of southern Lebanon despite withdrawal provisions.

Incitement to genocide

The foundation also accused Jerafi of direct and public incitement to genocide, citing public statements in which he advocated the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and opposed humanitarian aid entry. "Gaza's civilians are part of Hamas. We must not have mercy on them," HRF quoted the reservist as saying on Feb. 1, 2024.

HRF also quoted Jerafi as saying on July 9, 2025 that "there shouldn't be an agreement without emigration," in reference to calls for the mass displacement of Gaza's population. The foundation stated that these statements amount to direct and public incitement to genocide under Article III(c) of the Genocide Convention and Article 25(3)(e) of the Rome Statute.

Calls for detention

HRF called on Vietnamese authorities to detain Jerafi and investigate him, arguing that Vietnam, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention, has a duty to investigate and prosecute individuals present on its territory suspected of grave international crimes regardless of where those crimes occurred.

"Matan Jerafi's culpability extends far beyond his direct participation in war crimes and acts of genocide on the ground. He has weaponized his public platform to actively advocate for the continuation and escalation of this genocidal campaign," HRF Director-General Dyab Abu Jahjah said.

Natacha Bracq, head of Litigation at HRF, stated that "it is unacceptable that Matan Jerafi is vacationing among the Vietnamese people after having actively participated in and publicly incited the genocide of Palestinians." She appealed to Vietnam to "uphold its international duties by detaining Mr. Jerafi and initiating a thorough investigation."

The foundation is named after Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl killed along with six relatives in an Israeli attack on their vehicle southwest of Gaza City on Jan. 29, 2024. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, killing over 73,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 174,000, according to health authorities.