Palestinian rights body files complaint with India against Israeli soldier on vacation
On June 2, 2026, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Palestinian rights organisation based in Brussels, filed a complaint with India's Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bureau of Immigration, and the police, seeking the arrest of Eitan Gilboa, an Israeli soldier who was found vacationing in Himachal Pradesh. The organisation accuses Gilboa of committing 'war crimes in Gaza' in 2024.
According to the complaint, Gilboa, a member of the 271st Combat Engineering Battalion, participated in the destruction of residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Khan Yunis and Rafah. The HRF submitted evidence including geo-located videos, social media posts by his mother showing him celebrating these actions, and chain-of-command documentation.
The legal basis for the complaint lies in the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which India is a signatory. Under this convention, intentional attacks causing loss of life or injury to civilians, as well as severe damage to civilian objects, constitute war crimes. India does not have a specific law criminalising war crimes, but the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960, criminalises acts considered 'grave breaches' under the conventions. Under this law, India can arrest any person, regardless of nationality, for such offences committed anywhere. If arrest is not possible, the Home Ministry and Bureau of Immigration can facilitate deportation.
As of now, the Union government has not issued a statement on the complaint or initiated an investigation. Reports indicate that Gilboa has since left India.
The soldier was traced by pro-Palestinian activists and the HRF in Old Manali and Gondla Village, Himachal Pradesh—locations popular among Israeli travellers along the so-called 'Hummus trail'. Each year, around 80,000 Israelis visit India, many of them young veterans who have completed mandatory military service. This post-service trip, known as the tiul gadol, can last up to six months to a year and is often funded by bonuses received after service. In February 2026, the Israeli government allocated 4 million NIS to boost tourism collaboration with India.
The 'Hummus trail' refers to several destinations across India frequented by Israelis, including Kasol (sometimes called 'mini-Israel'), Kodaikanal, Kerala, Goa, Hampi, Gokarna, Rishikesh, Varanasi, Pushkar, Almora, Dharamkot, and more recently the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In these areas, Hebrew signs, Israeli Defence Force posters, and Israeli-run cafes, stores, and hostels are common. In 2015, an Israeli-run café in Himachal Pradesh faced backlash for allegedly denying entry to Indians with a 'whites only' sign.
A 2020 study in the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing noted that drug abuse and rave parties are prevalent along the Hummus trail, with rising drug peddling cases. The study suggested that some Israeli veterans resort to high drug consumption to cope with mental health challenges from their army service. Mental health workers from Israel have been sent to India to aid these reservists.
