April 2025 – Washington, D.C. / Brussels
The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a request for prosecution in the United States against Yuval Shatel, an Israeli soldier accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The request, which outlines the evidence and criminal charges against Shatel, was submitted to both the U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and calls for Shatel’s immediate arrest and prosecution under U.S. federal law for:
- War crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 2441
- Conspiracy to commit war crimes under 18 U.S.C. § 371
- Genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide under 18 U.S.C. § 1091
Who Is Yuval Shatel?
Yuval Shatel served as a sergeant in the 435th Rotem Battalion, Givati Brigade, an elite Israeli military unit. During his deployment in Gaza, Shatel allegedly took part in the deliberate destruction of civilian homes, schools, and places of worship—acts prohibited by both U.S. and international law.
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.
Last Seen in Texas — Now Missing
Shatel was last seen in Texas four days ago. Since then, his whereabouts are unknown. The Hind Rajab Foundation has expressed serious concern that he may be attempting to flee U.S. jurisdiction to avoid prosecution.
“There is clear and present risk of flight. The evidence is overwhelming, the jurisdiction is clear, and the moral obligation is beyond dispute. U.S. authorities must act immediately,” said Samuel Jacob Romm, the Hind Rajab Foundation’s representative in the United States.
What the Evidence Shows
The request includes:
- Video evidence of Shatel detonating civilian buildings
- Photographs of Shatel and other soldiers inside occupied civilian homes
- Social media posts celebrating acts of destruction and calling for revenge
- Visual confirmation of collaboration with at least ten other soldiers from his unit
These actions are presented not as battlefield engagements, but as deliberate, recorded, and celebratory operations designed to punish and terrorize the civilian population—behavior that constitutes grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and violates U.S. law.
Broader Genocide Allegations
According to a January 2025 Reported Impact Snapshot by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 92% of all housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. The Foundation argues that such widespread and systematic destruction is not incidental but intentional—part of a broader effort to render Gaza uninhabitable, and to subject Palestinians to conditions of life that are intended to cause their physical destruction in whole or in part.
Shatel’s actions, the Foundation argues, are not isolated, but representative of a pattern of conduct contributing to genocidal conditions in Gaza.
Why the U.S. Has Jurisdiction
Although the crimes were committed in Gaza, U.S. federal courts have jurisdiction because Shatel is present on U.S. soil. Under the War Crimes Act and Genocide Statute, foreign nationals can be prosecuted in the United States if they are physically present in the country, regardless of where the crimes occurred.
The U.S. is also bound by its obligations under the Geneva Conventions to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches of the Conventions.
What the Foundation Is Demanding
The Hind Rajab Foundation is calling on U.S. authorities to:
- Open a full criminal investigation
- Issue an arrest warrant without delay
- Locate and detain Shatel to prevent him from fleeing the country
- Commence prosecution in a competent U.S. federal court
“Justice must not depend on passports or politics. The presence of this suspect in the U.S. is a test of whether American law will rise to meet the challenge of international crimes,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, Chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “If we are serious about ending impunity, then it starts here—and it starts now.”
Download the complaint
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