Gaza Herald _A formal legal complaint has been filed in Athens calling for the arrest of Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who is currently visiting Greece, over allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed during Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip. The complaint was submitted on Wednesday to Greece’s Supreme Court prosecutor by the Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation, a human rights organization dedicated to pursuing legal accountability for crimes committed against Palestinians.
In a statement, the foundation said the filing was made in coordination with Greek lawyers, including members of the Alternative Intervention group within the Athens Bar Association, as well as board members of the association itself. The complaint formally notifies Greek judicial authorities that Katz is present on Greek soil until January 22, arguing that the limited duration of his visit necessitates urgent legal action.
According to the filing, Katz’s physical presence in Greece immediately activates the country’s legal obligations under both domestic and international law. The foundation stressed that Greece has a duty to act when individuals suspected of grave international crimes enter its territory, regardless of where those crimes were committed.
The complaint outlines Katz’s senior political and executive roles within Israel’s ruling Likud party and successive Israeli governments, noting that he has held several high-level ministerial positions in recent years, including minister of energy and infrastructure, foreign minister, and currently minister of defense. In his role as defense minister, the filing argues, Katz exercises direct civilian authority over the Israeli military, including approving, directing, and overseeing military operations.
The document links Katz’s political authority and public statements to policies implemented during the assault on Gaza, which resulted in widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, mass displacement, and severe humanitarian deprivation. It cites repeated reports by United Nations bodies documenting serious violations of international humanitarian law during the campaign.
Central to the complaint are Katz’s public endorsements and enforcement of measures restricting electricity, water, fuel, food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population. The filing also references statements attributed to Katz in which he opposed the entry of humanitarian assistance and accepted responsibility for blocking aid convoys, including the interception of the Global Solidarity Flotilla, which carried Greek citizens.
The foundation argues that Greece has clear legal jurisdiction in this case based on multiple legal frameworks. These include Article 28 of the Greek Constitution, which incorporates ratified international treaties and customary international law into domestic law with precedence over conflicting legislation. The complaint also cites Article 8 of the Greek Penal Code, which allows for the prosecution of crimes committed abroad when international conventions ratified by Greece require it.
In addition, the filing references Greece’s ratification of the Geneva Conventions under Law No. 3481 of 1955, including Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obliges states to search for and prosecute individuals suspected of committing grave breaches once they enter national territory. The complaint further invokes Law No. 3948 of 2011, which incorporated the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court into Greek law, granting jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide when a suspect is present in Greece.
The Hind Rajab Foundation emphasized that these legal obligations are mandatory, not discretionary, and take effect immediately upon the suspect’s entry into Greek territory. It called on Greek authorities to open a criminal investigation into Katz’s actions and to take all necessary legal measures in line with Greece’s international commitments to prevent impunity for the most serious crimes.
Diab Abu Jahjah, the foundation’s director, said Greek authorities have a responsibility to ensure that individuals suspected of war crimes are investigated and prosecuted the moment they enter a country governed by the rule of law. He stressed that this principle applies equally in Greece as it does elsewhere.
Katz met on Tuesday in Athens with Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias in what was described as a political and security-focused meeting aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries, according to statements attributed to Katz.
Founded in February 2024 and headquartered in Brussels, the Hind Rajab Foundation has emerged as a leading European legal initiative pursuing cases against Israeli soldiers and officials accused of crimes against Palestinians. Since its establishment, the foundation has filed multiple cases that have reportedly restricted the international travel of Israeli military personnel, underscoring what it describes as the growing reach of international accountability beyond Palestine’s borders.
The foundation is named after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed on January 29, 2024, when Israeli forces targeted the vehicle carrying her uncle, his wife, and their three children in southwestern Gaza City. Twelve days later, her body was found inside the same vehicle, a scene that has since become a powerful symbol of the suffering endured by Palestinian civilians under Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.
