'Israeli' soldier arrested in Athens attack on Palestinian protesters

On Sunday, the Hind Rajab Foundation confirmed that the man who attacked Palestinian demonstrators in central Athens on September 13 is officially under arrest.

Earlier, the foundation identified the assailant as David Hadar, a 29-year-old sergeant in the 'Israeli' army’s Golani Brigade, a unit long accused of committing atrocities in Gaza.

The incident occurred at Syntagma Square, in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, where Palestinian activists were holding a protest. Witnesses said the clash left several demonstrators injured before Greek police intervened and detained those involved.

In a formal letter submitted Monday to Greek authorities, the Foundation urged a comprehensive investigation into Hadar’s actions in Athens as well as into his possible role in war crimes carried out by the Golani Brigade in Gaza.

“We are calling on the Greek authorities to uphold their legal obligations under international law by opening an investigation into David Hadar’s potential involvement in war crimes,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “The incident in Athens is not an isolated episode of violence, it reflects a broader pattern whereby individuals who have taken part in atrocities in Palestine are displaying the same aggressive behavior abroad.”

- Golani Brigade’s record under scrutiny -

The Foundation stressed that Hadar’s position within the Golani Brigade makes it “highly likely” that he served in Gaza. The unit has been linked to multiple incidents during 'Israel’s' ongoing war, including the August 2025 livestreamed assault on Nasser Hospital, which killed 22 Palestinians, among them a child and five journalists, and the March 2025 killing of 15 paramedics and rescue workers.

The Foundation has already filed three legal complaints against the Brigade before both international and national courts. It emphasized that under the Geneva Conventions, Greece has an obligation to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of war crimes who are present on its territory.

- Violence spilling into Europe -

The group also drew parallels to other incidents in Europe, citing March 2024 assaults in Athens by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters and a November 2024 episode in Amsterdam, where the same club’s fans tore down Palestinian flags, chanted anti-Arab slogans, and physically attacked demonstrators.

“These incidents demonstrate that individuals connected to Israel’s war in Gaza are carrying the same aggressive conduct abroad, turning European public spaces into extensions of that violence,” the Foundation said.

The Hind Rajab Foundation concluded its statement by urging Greek authorities to take “decisive action” in Hadar’s case, both to ensure accountability and to send a signal that Europe will not serve as a stage for the export of violence linked to the war in Palestine.