UK police asked to arrest Israeli businessman accused of Gaza war crimes

The Hind Rajab Foundation has called on British authorities to arrest an Israeli man implicated in war crimes in Gaza.

Alon Elgali, the owner of contracting company Meshek Afar Ltd, is said to be in the UK for a private function, according to the organisation, which seeks to hold Israelis accused of war crimes in Gaza legally accountable.

The group is named after Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops in Gaza on 10 February.

It says Elgali features in a video that surfaced on social media earlier in November, in which he appears to be seen driving a bulldozer alongside a member of the Israeli military over the debris of flattened civilian buildings.

"He are the ruins of Rafah," says the member of the military, who is not visible in the video.

"Meshek Afar are working with 'the Buggers' inside Rafah," he continues, an apparent reference to the military unit involved in bulldozing the buildings. "We've been here for three days now and there's still a year to go."

"The head of Meshek Afar, the honourable Alon Elgali is here with us," the soldier adds as he pans the camera to the man driving the bulldozer.

"Tomorrow he's coming to take down their mosque."

Universal jurisdiction

Under Article 53 of the Geneva Convention, the targeting and destruction of places of worship is prohibited during war.

Israel is currently subject to an International Court of Justice (ICJ) case where it stands accused of genocide for its conduct in Gaza.

British courts exercise universal jurisdiction over breaches of the Geneva Convention and can therefore prosecute non-nationals accused of such crimes in other countries if they enter UK territory.

According to the Hind Rajab Foundation, Elgali was visiting London for a wedding, but it is not known whether any legal complaint has been made to the British police at the time of publication.

🚨🚨War criminal alert: Call for arrest!
The HRF has learned that Alon Elgali, owner of Meshek Afar, is currently in London attending a wedding. This company has been involved in operations in Gaza, deploying tractors and bulldozers demolishing civilian infrastructure in Rafah. pic.twitter.com/KaZjTYwT2Z

— The Hind Rajab Foundation (@HindRFoundation) November 6, 2024

In response to MEE's request for comment, London's Metropolitan Police issued the following statement:

"The Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) War Crimes Team has received around 170 referrals relating to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict since 7 October, 2023.

“We will not be commenting on the specific nature of each and every referral, but each one is reviewed in line with War Crimes/Crimes Against Humanity Referral Guidelines, jointly agreed by police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“At this time, there is no UK-based investigation into any matters relating to this particular conflict.

A spokesperson for the police also said that some information provided to the War Crimes Team may be passed on to the  International Criminal Court (ICC) to aid their investigations.

"A small number of referrals received by CTP since 7 October, 2023, relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict have been passed across to the ICC."

MEE has also approached Alon Elgali and Meshek Afar Ltd for comment.

As of August of this year, the UN said two-thirds of buildings in Gaza had been destroyed or damaged following the start of Israel's war Gaza in October last year.

The "latest damage building assessment, based on satellite imagery … reveals that 151,265 structures have been affected in the Gaza Strip,” it said.

"Of these, 30 percent were destroyed, 12 percent severely damaged, 36 percent moderately damaged, and 20 percent possibly damaged, representing approximately 63 percent of the total structures in the region.”