The key facts

  • The Hind Rajab Foundation asks the US Department of Justice to arrest commander Sean Glass, accusing him of war crimes and genocide under US laws
  • The foundation claims Glass likely ordered fire opened on the car in which Hind Rajab was located
  • Rashida Tlaib backed the appeal; the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment

Appeal to the US Department of Justice

The Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has appealed to the US Department of Justice demanding the arrest and prosecution of Israeli military commander Sean Glass, whom the foundation links to the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab in the Gaza Strip. According to the foundation, Glass is in the US and commanded the 'Vampire Empire' company of the 52nd Armored Battalion in the 401st Armored Brigade. The foundation accuses him of war crimes and genocide under American law and asserts that he 'most likely gave the order to open fire' on the car. In a statement issued on Monday, the foundation said its investigation places Glass and his subordinates 'in the immediate vicinity of Hind's car at the time of the killing,' and that 'today Glass is freely present in the US.'

The foundation's position and support in Congress

HRF head of litigation Natasha Brac said the evidence in the case is 'compelling and extensive' and called on the Justice Department to open an investigation immediately. The appeal was publicly backed by Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who wrote on social media that as a party to the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions, the US government is obligated to arrest and investigate cases of such war crimes and acts of genocide. The Department of Justice did not respond to Anadolu's request for comment.

Circumstances of Hind Rajab's death

Hind Rajab was killed on January 29, 2024, when the car in which she was traveling with relatives came under Israeli fire. Having survived among the bodies of her family members, she called the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and asked for help. Two PRCS paramedics sent to her, Yousef Zeino and Ahmad al-Madhoun, were also killed; their bodies, along with Hind's, were found 12 days later. According to the London-based research group Forensic Architecture, 335 bullets were fired at the car, and there were no signs of an exchange of fire.