HRF Files Criminal Complaint Against Hezi Gilboa in Vietnam Over Destruction of Civilian Property in Gaza

25 September 2026 - Brussels, Belgium/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint with Vietnamese authorities against Israeli reservist, Hezi Gilboa, currently present in Vietnam, based on his alleged involvement in the unlawful destruction of civilian objects during the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Gilboa served with the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion of the 188th Armored Brigade “Barak” during the initial ground offensive in Gaza following 7 October 2023, operating a D9 armored bulldozer. He repeatedly published videos and photographs on his Instagram account documenting the demolition, detonation, and burning of Palestinian homes and residential areas across Gaza, including in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah.

Hezi Gilboa posting his involvement in the widespread destruction in Gaza on his social media.

In a post dated 19 November 2023, Gilboa published a video showing widespread destruction in Gaza, which he described as his unit’s method of demolishing homes. He further explained that such demolitions were carried out routinely, including in areas where no military infrastructure had been identified.

"We look for suspicious things — [t]unnels, military equipment, suitcases. When we find [something], we call the senior commanders and when there is nothing [there], we complete the demolition and flatten everything”

HRF’s investigation verified Gilboa’s involvement in at least two incidents involving the large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure:

• The destruction of the Abbas Police Station in the southern Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, between 14 and 21 November 2023; and
• The destruction of Palestine Square in Shuja’iyya, eastern Gaza City, on 18 December 2023.

The conduct documented in HRF’s investigation constitutes war crimes under Geneva Convention IV and Additional Protocol I, including intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects and the extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.

These acts may also amount to genocide and crimes against humanity.

Dyab Abou Jahjah, General Director at HRF: 

“This filing marks another step in our systematic pursuit of accountability wherever perpetrators are physically present. We have already filed a complaint in Vietnam, and we continue to identify soldiers who regularly return there to vacation. Vietnam must stop functioning as a safe haven for individuals who have committed atrocities in Gaza. Under international law, Vietnam is obliged to investigate and prosecute these individuals while they are on its territory.”

Natacha Bracq, Head of Litigation at HRF: 

“Gilboa is an architect of the genocide. He demolished Palestinian homes and civilian infrastructure, documented his actions, and took pride in the destruction. The evidence is in plain sight, and it is for the Vietnamese authorities to act.”