Former Israeli prime minister sued in Germany for war crimes

According to the foundation, the complaint targets Ehud Olmert, who served as Israel’s prime minister from 2006 to 2009, and concerns the Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip in 2008–2009, known as Operation Cast Lead.

In a statement, the Hind Rajab Foundation said that German attorney Melanie Schweitzer submitted the criminal complaint to both the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Federal Prosecutor General in Karlsruhe, which handles international crimes under Germany’s Code of Crimes against International Law (VStGB).

Olmert is scheduled to attend the Haaretz Democracy Conference in Berlin. The foundation argued that, as Israel’s head of cabinet during that period, Olmert bore ultimate responsibility for the Gaza operation, which resulted—according to the foundation—in the killing of over 1,300 Palestinians, including more than 300 children, as well as the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Human rights organizations, including the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report), Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, have previously documented the Israeli military’s use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas and its restrictions on humanitarian access during the conflict.

The complaint accuses Olmert, under the principle of command responsibility, of authorizing, failing to prevent, or failing to prosecute actions that constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Hind Rajab Foundation has called on German authorities to launch an investigation, issue an arrest warrant, and prevent Olmert from leaving Germany.

Under German law, courts may prosecute serious international crimes regardless of where they were committed or the nationality of the suspects.

Diab Abou Jahjah, Director General of the Hind Rajab Foundation, stated: “The victims of Gaza deserve justice, no matter how much time has passed. Those responsible for war crimes must understand that accountability has no expiration date, and the world is moving closer to ending impunity.”

The foundation also announced on Friday, October 31, that it had filed another criminal complaint against an Israeli soldier residing in Berlin, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and calling for his arrest.