Justice for Hind Rajab Act
Sponsored By: Representative Jacobs
Introduced
Summary
This bill would push the U.S. government to secure accountability for war crimes linked to the January 29, 2024 Gaza City attack. It centers on whether U.S.-origin weapons, U.S. citizens, or personnel trained by the United States were involved.
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- Families and victims: It urges Israel to compensate the family of Hind Rajab — Hind was age 5 and six family members were killed — and directs the State Department to provide compensation if any U.S. citizens serving in the Israeli Defense Forces were involved.
- Accountability and prosecutions: The Secretary of State would need to certify within 30 days if credible information suggests war crimes and refer findings to the Attorney General within 15 days. The Attorney General would review referrals and pursue investigations and prosecutions under the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 2441) where U.S. courts have jurisdiction.
- Reporting and evidence preservation: The State Department would report within 45 days to Congress naming involved Israeli units, whether U.S.-origin weapons or U.S.-trained personnel were used, and would collect and preserve evidence for domestic and international prosecutions. The bill’s findings note over $21.7 billion in U.S. military assistance since October 7, 2023.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Attorney General review and war crimes policy
If enacted, the bill would require the Attorney General to certify within 30 days that the Justice Department will review any State Department referral about the Jan. 29, 2024 Gaza City attacks. The department would be required to open investigations and prosecute war crimes under 18 U.S.C. 2441 when appropriate and when U.S. courts have jurisdiction. The bill would also direct the U.S. government to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence about possible war crimes and atrocities in the Israel-Hamas war, to treat willful killings of protected persons as grave breaches (and systemic patterns as crimes against humanity), and to uphold Fourth Geneva Convention protections for the wounded and mobile medical units. The Attorney General would be directed to investigate credible allegations against U.S. citizens in Gaza with input from other federal agencies as appropriate.
State Department report and referral
If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of State to say within 30 days whether credible information shows the Jan. 29, 2024 Gaza City attacks could be war crimes and involved U.S.-origin weapons, U.S. citizens, or U.S.-trained Israeli forces. If the Secretary so certifies, the Secretary would have to send those findings to the Attorney General no later than 15 days after the certification. The Secretary would also have to give Congress a report within 45 days summarizing what U.S. Government information shows about which units were involved, why the operation happened, whether Israel opened investigations, whether any soldiers were U.S. citizens, whether U.S.-provided weapons or parts were used, and whether U.S. training or Leahy Law inquiries applied. The reporting requirement would be limited to information available to the U.S. Government.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Jacobs
CA • D
Cosponsors
Castro (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 3/12/2026
Jayapal
WA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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