1/2 I respectfully disagree with HRF's assertion that Sean Glass or his company, Vampire Empire, were responsible for the killing of Hind Rajab. This is my comment on the case:
In the start of January 2025, HRF approached me, through a personal request from Dyab Abo Jahjah, to assist with the case, but I respectfully declined stating personal reasons and workload. On 28 January, Dyab informed me that HRF was about to make a public announcement and file a legal complaint on January 29th. He said that it was a “long process of research”, that “a lot of people” had worked on it for months, and that they had reached definitive conclusions regarding the identity of the perpetrators.” I told him plainly that the names and the unit were wrong
HRF was then under the assumption that the 9th Battalion was responsible for the murder of Hind, her family members and the paramedics. He noted that the unit operated Merkava IV tanks, and insisted on filing the case on the next day, due to the symbolic aspect of the date. I was asked to provide HRF with any information that could further help with the case. Based on the information I had, I replied that the 9th Battalion was not operating in Gaza City at the relevant time and could not have been involved in the killing. I warned that filing on the basis of a misattribution would damage the credibility of accountability efforts as a whole, and stressed that allegations of this kind must rest on verifiable facts that can plausibly identify the responsible unit, rather than on inference or narrative preference. They agreed at that point to delay the filing. They had my respect for that
I referred them to a public IDF statement in Hebrew that Sky News had already reviewed and geolocated, which included footage taken around 300m from the site of Hind Rajab’s killing. That announcement confirmed that the 52nd Battalion was operating in the area. I also shared a highly sensitive detail relevant to the case, which I cannot disclose. I then asked them to postpone the filing to allow those developments to mature and to strengthen the legal strategy and record. They did not. Without any prior notice, they proceeded to file against the 401st Brigade commander and present it publicly as the result of “a year of research,” even though this information about the brigade’s involvement and the brigade commander’s identity had already been in the public domain for months.
Following the AJ report, my disagreement deepened. I haven’t seen, as of now, credible and concrete evidence linking Sean Glass personally, or Company V specifically, to the killing of Hind Rajab. The inference appears to be based largely on the fact that Sean Glass is publicly known as a company commander with a visible profile, including the brigade’s repeated sharing of his account due to his book project, his solicitation of public donations for that book, and his interviews with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Channel. I have reviewed this hypothesis internally and found no evidence to attribute the killing to his company.
While the presence of the 52nd Battalion in the area is an established fact, there is no evidence linking Company V specifically to the crime, making any such attribution purely speculative. Moreover, the battalion is composed of multiple companies T, H, V, exposure and attack elements, administrative support, and others, several of which posted material showing they were operating in the same neighborhood around the same set of days. Furthermore, a brigade such as the 401st Brigade Combat Team functions as a brigade combat team, meaning that multiple battalions and companies, including armored units from other brigades, could have been present in the area simultaneously. For example, the 401st includes Nahal and Givati companies, whose APCs can be equipped with FN MAG (7.62×51 mm) machine guns. It is known that a tank shell struck the ambulance. However, Hind’s fatal injuries were caused by machine-gun fire
2/2 which could also be delivered from an APC. Inferring responsibility solely from the presence of a battalion may be indicative, but it is not definitive and does not meet the high evidentiary standard required for accountability.
Given the gravity of the responsibility, any case filed must be bulletproof, with as little inference as possible. Pointing out a probable suspect creates an expectation of accountability that, if frustrated, can be harmful for accountability efforts as a whole. Accountability work demands the highest level of precision. A single incorrect accusation can undermine the credibility of the entire effort and accidentally accuse the wrong individuals.
I personally don’t have any interest in “defending” Sean Glass specifically nor his company and do not doubt that he is part of the collective genocidal enterprise against the Palestinian people, and this is not what my disagreement is about. I also fully understand, agree and support entirely the demand for public, legal, moral and ethical accountability for the perpetrators of the heinous and brutal murder of the child martyr Hind Rajab, her family members and the paramedics who were killed trying to save her. The investigation into Hind Rajab’s killing deserves not a plausible story, but the correct conclusion based on evidence that can withstand scrutiny when presented to court, there will be questions and lawyers to question the allegations made.
If HRF possesses additional information that informs its attribution, my opinion is that we should make that reasoning clear. I’ll be happy to stand corrected if I’m wrong.
Being familiar with most of the cases and evidence cited on the latest documentary, it also saddens me that the AJ program did not conduct an independent verification of these claims, particularly given that they involve serious crimes. I do not agree with this claim that Vampire Empire is a company composed of many dual nationals and that its name is “Vampire Empire” in English for this reason. I also know to be untrue the claim that a soldier was transported on a private military plane through Cyprus, and the case in Belgium did not involve dual nationals. I could provide further examples, but I think we got the point. In general, I believe the fact checking on that documentary could have been more thorough. I have a lot to say, but it comes in the right time
My interest here lies in maintaining precision and credibility in all accountability efforts. Speculative claims, even when emotionally compelling, risk weakening the broader pursuit of justice. Ultimately, what matters most is identifying the actual perpetrators of Hind Rajab’s killing, ensuring that the evidence is clear, verifiable, and directed toward genuine accountability.
Why are people attacking Younis for this?
I personally know how much time, effort, and precision he puts into everything he does, the countless hours behind the scenes, the dedication, and the accuracy he brings to every detail.
Take a step back and realize that he’s calling for accountability done right. No shortcuts, no “ifs” or “buts,” no room for error or escape so the actual perpetrators are held accountable.
That doesn’t minimize anyone else’s efforts.
Mike
In the start of January 2025, HRF approached me, through a personal request from Dyab Abo Jahjah, to assist with the case, but I respectfully declined stating personal reasons and workload. On 28 January, Dyab informed me that HRF was about to make a public announcement and file a legal complaint on January 29th. He said that it was a “long process of research”, that “a lot of people” had worked on it for months, and that they had reached definitive conclusions regarding the identity of the perpetrators.” I told him plainly that the names and the unit were wrong
HRF was then under the assumption that the 9th Battalion was responsible for the murder of Hind, her family members and the paramedics. He noted that the unit operated Merkava IV tanks, and insisted on filing the case on the next day, due to the symbolic aspect of the date. I was asked to provide HRF with any information that could further help with the case. Based on the information I had, I replied that the 9th Battalion was not operating in Gaza City at the relevant time and could not have been involved in the killing. I warned that filing on the basis of a misattribution would damage the credibility of accountability efforts as a whole, and stressed that allegations of this kind must rest on verifiable facts that can plausibly identify the responsible unit, rather than on inference or narrative preference. They agreed at that point to delay the filing. They had my respect for that
I referred them to a public IDF statement in Hebrew that Sky News had already reviewed and geolocated, which included footage taken around 300m from the site of Hind Rajab’s killing. That announcement confirmed that the 52nd Battalion was operating in the area. I also shared a highly sensitive detail relevant to the case, which I cannot disclose. I then asked them to postpone the filing to allow those developments to mature and to strengthen the legal strategy and record. They did not. Without any prior notice, they proceeded to file against the 401st Brigade commander and present it publicly as the result of “a year of research,” even though this information about the brigade’s involvement and the brigade commander’s identity had already been in the public domain for months.
Following the AJ report, my disagreement deepened. I haven’t seen, as of now, credible and concrete evidence linking Sean Glass personally, or Company V specifically, to the killing of Hind Rajab. The inference appears to be based largely on the fact that Sean Glass is publicly known as a company commander with a visible profile, including the brigade’s repeated sharing of his account due to his book project, his solicitation of public donations for that book, and his interviews with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Channel. I have reviewed this hypothesis internally and found no evidence to attribute the killing to his company.
While the presence of the 52nd Battalion in the area is an established fact, there is no evidence linking Company V specifically to the crime, making any such attribution purely speculative. Moreover, the battalion is composed of multiple companies T, H, V, exposure and attack elements, administrative support, and others, several of which posted material showing they were operating in the same neighborhood around the same set of days. Furthermore, a brigade such as the 401st Brigade Combat Team functions as a brigade combat team, meaning that multiple battalions and companies, including armored units from other brigades, could have been present in the area simultaneously. For example, the 401st includes Nahal and Givati companies, whose APCs can be equipped with FN MAG (7.62×51 mm) machine guns. It is known that a tank shell struck the ambulance. However, Hind’s fatal injuries were caused by machine-gun fire
2/2 which could also be delivered from an APC. Inferring responsibility solely from the presence of a battalion may be indicative, but it is not definitive and does not meet the high evidentiary standard required for accountability.
Given the gravity of the responsibility, any case filed must be bulletproof, with as little inference as possible. Pointing out a probable suspect creates an expectation of accountability that, if frustrated, can be harmful for accountability efforts as a whole. Accountability work demands the highest level of precision. A single incorrect accusation can undermine the credibility of the entire effort and accidentally accuse the wrong individuals.
I personally don’t have any interest in “defending” Sean Glass specifically nor his company and do not doubt that he is part of the collective genocidal enterprise against the Palestinian people, and this is not what my disagreement is about. I also fully understand, agree and support entirely the demand for public, legal, moral and ethical accountability for the perpetrators of the heinous and brutal murder of the child martyr Hind Rajab, her family members and the paramedics who were killed trying to save her. The investigation into Hind Rajab’s killing deserves not a plausible story, but the correct conclusion based on evidence that can withstand scrutiny when presented to court, there will be questions and lawyers to question the allegations made.
If HRF possesses additional information that informs its attribution, my opinion is that we should make that reasoning clear. I’ll be happy to stand corrected if I’m wrong.
Being familiar with most of the cases and evidence cited on the latest documentary, it also saddens me that the AJ program did not conduct an independent verification of these claims, particularly given that they involve serious crimes. I do not agree with this claim that Vampire Empire is a company composed of many dual nationals and that its name is “Vampire Empire” in English for this reason. I also know to be untrue the claim that a soldier was transported on a private military plane through Cyprus, and the case in Belgium did not involve dual nationals. I could provide further examples, but I think we got the point. In general, I believe the fact checking on that documentary could have been more thorough. I have a lot to say, but it comes in the right time
My interest here lies in maintaining precision and credibility in all accountability efforts. Speculative claims, even when emotionally compelling, risk weakening the broader pursuit of justice. Ultimately, what matters most is identifying the actual perpetrators of Hind Rajab’s killing, ensuring that the evidence is clear, verifiable, and directed toward genuine accountability.
Why are people attacking Younis for this?
I personally know how much time, effort, and precision he puts into everything he does, the countless hours behind the scenes, the dedication, and the accuracy he brings to every detail.
Take a step back and realize that he’s calling for accountability done right. No shortcuts, no “ifs” or “buts,” no room for error or escape so the actual perpetrators are held accountable.
That doesn’t minimize anyone else’s efforts.
Mike
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During a prison visit, Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said:
