Who is Eitan Gilboa? Israeli soldier on Hummus Trail faces arrest calls over Gaza

Eitan Gilboa, a soldier who has committed numerous war crimes in Gaza, is vacationing in Himachal Pradesh. Gilboa documented and celebrated bombings of civilian homes in Khan Younis and Rafa in Gaza. These videos were later posted by his mother on Instagram and Facebook. He posted those juxtaposing himself against the ruins of Palestinian playgrounds and children's toys amidst the rubble.

Brussels-based organisation the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has called for the arrest of Gilboa. He is a reservist in the 271st Combat Engineering Battalion who carried out crimes which violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, ratified by India. As a signatory of the Geneva Convention. India is legally obligated to apprehend and prosecute individuals within its territory accused of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, regardless of their nationality.

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The Hummus trail and the Israeli microcosm

Gilboa is one of the many IDF soldiers who travel to India following the Hummus Trail. In peak travel years, upwards of 47,000 Israelis visit India, most of whom are required to serve in the military services. It has become a sanctuary for Israeli soldiers to decompress, escape the intense psychological stress of military life, and "flip out" or unwind in highly isolated environments. Over the last 25 years, India has become a destination of choice for Israelis, particularly on their rite of passage backpacking trip abroad. However, the movement of Israelis is not enculturation; they do not immerse themselves in Indian culture. They flock to specific villages to aggregate into tight-knit Israeli communities, create a recreational culture among scenic landscapes, trance parties, and widespread access to local recreational drugs like hashish. In anthropology its a phenomenon termed as "liminality", a temporary, lawless zone, where traditional societal morals and rules are suspended. From the conflict zone to the peaceful Himalayan Cafe in Parvati Valley. It functions as a massive, informal coping mechanism for post-traumatic stress.

India's love for Israel

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs have not responded to the complaint. The Indian government, which has previously denied hosting the film on Oscar-nominated Docudrama - The Voice of Hind Rajab, is now releasing the film nationwide in June 19. The film was banned, citing concerns about foreign relations. The film documents the true story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli military fire in Gaza while trapped in a car. The very same organisation that filed the complaint against Eitan Gilboa, the Hind Rajab Foundation, is named after this child. During the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in December 2025, the central government's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied mandatory censor exemptions to 19 foreign films scheduled for exhibition. The block list heavily targeted the Palestine package, including the likes of critically acclaimed Palestine 36, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, Wajib, and All That's Left of You.

The recent government has extended its “unconditional support” to the Israelis as it wreaks havoc in West Asia. India-Israeli relations are not just limited to weapons and diplomacy. Along with weapons, India is also importing Israel's methods of repression. During the Great March of Return in Gaza, Israel pioneered the tactics of dropping teargas via drone. A high-level Indian delegation led by the then-Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, visited Israel. The official purpose of the tour was to study advanced internal security, surveillance infrastructure, and agricultural drone technologies. The Union Government implemented those techniques six years later. In February 2024, when tens of thousands of Indian farmers launched the "Delhi Chalo" march to demand guaranteed crop prices, they used quadcopters to drop tear gas on protesting farmers. Those drones were indigenously developed. Further, the Bulldozer justice of the UP government draws heavily from the Israeli demolition of the West Bank and Gaza. This has now been normalised in India too, especially against one particular minority community. Investigative reports suggest this goes way beyond the normal tactic import to surveillance, crowd control and spyware. Gaza becomes the ground zero for weapons and tactics that are mass-produced and exported worldwide.