US-Israeli former soldier on visit to Netherlands accused of Gaza war crimes

The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a criminal complaint in the Netherlands against Noam Himmelman, a former US-Israeli soldier, for alleged involvement in war crimes during Israel's war on Gaza. Himmelman, a former member of the Israeli army's Netzah Yehuda Battalion, is currently in Amsterdam. The complaint alleges that Himmelman was involved in attacks on schools sheltering displaced Palestinians, mass detentions, and the destruction of residential buildings in Gaza.

The Foundation claims that Israeli forces, including the battalion, surrounded schools in Beit Hanoun on April 16, 2024, where thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought shelter. Soldiers allegedly fired on the school complex and detained dozens of men, including elderly people and teenagers, forcing them to strip before taking them away.

The complaint also alleges that between January and July 2025, the battalion conducted controlled demolitions of residential buildings across Beit Hanoun, contributing to the extensive destruction of the town.

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