PRESS STATEMENT: CAIR‑Chicago Urges DOJ to File War Crime Charges Against Naperville Man Who Joined IDF, Admitted Sniping Children

- For Immediate Release and Distribution -

(CHICAGO, IL, 9/10/ 2025) — The Chicago chapter of the Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR‑Chicago) today demanded that the U.S. Department of Justice immediately open a criminal investigation under the War Crimes Act and other applicable laws into the actions of Israeli sniper Daniel Raab, an American citizen raised in Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, whose lethal conduct in Gaza, as reported by The Guardian, constitutes evidence of war crimes. CAIR-Chicago also urges congress to stop funding the Israeli military in light of its documented war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A joint investigation by The Guardian, ARIJ, German media, and independent researchers has documented the targeted killings of at least six unarmed members of the Doghmosh family in Gaza on November 22, 2023, by two dual nationals—one from Chicago and one from Germany—operating within an Israeli sniper unit known as the “ghost” or “refaim” squad. Among the victims were two sons, their father, and a cousin—none of whom posed a threat or carried arms, and some of whom were reportedly attempting to retrieve bodies—a protected act under international humanitarian law. 

SEE: The Gaza family torn apart by IDF snipers from Chicago and Munich – The Guardian 

In a deeply chilling video interview included in the Guardian investigation, Daniel Raab reflected on the shooting of 19-year-old Salem Doghmosh—who was unarmed and merely trying to retrieve his brother’s body—and coldly remarked: “It’s hard for me to understand why he [did that] and it also doesn’t really interest me. I mean, what was so important about that corpse?”  

These targeted killings appear to violate the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, especially considering the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians and those engaged in rescue operations. Legal scholars, including Stanford law professor Tom Dannenbaum, have described the evidence as indicative of war crimes. 

Adding to the urgency, a recent Dropsite News investigation revealed that American nonprofits have been raising funds for the Israeli sniper unit implicated in the killings. Founded in Illinois by Benjamin Raab—who appears to be Daniel’s father—and directed in filings by Melissa Raab, his mother, the nonprofit raised over $300,000 in 2023 to supply gear for the squad. “Your support allowed us to get my son and his elite sniper unit the most advanced scopes needed in order to have an advantage over Hamas when they go into Gaza,” Daniel’s mother Melissa wrote in a note shared by a family friend on Facebook on October 27, 2023. 

 A Palestinian from Gaza now living in Chicago, said: 

“Every single day I hear from my relatives in Gaza who are starving, displaced, and living under constant bombardment. They have no food, no clean water, no medicine. Children are dying from hunger before bombs reach them. For us in the diaspora, it is unbearable to watch this genocide unfold while the world debates whether our lives are worth protecting. The U.S. must stop shielding war criminals and start holding them accountable.” 

 In a statement, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab said: 

 “Given that the alleged perpetrator attended the University of Illinois and has American citizenship, CAIR‑Chicago insists the Department of Justice cannot ignore these atrocities merely because they occurred abroad. The War Crimes Act clearly grants U.S. courts jurisdiction over U.S. nationals who commit grave breaches of the laws of war.” 

 He noted that CAIR has welcomed the actions of the Hind Rajab Foundation in bringing legal actions of Israelis accused of war crimes when they travel abroad. 

CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote understanding. 

CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director, CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com | Noah Halpern, Staff Attorney, CAIR-Chicago, 312-212-1520, nhalpern@cair.com | Hafsa Haider, Communications Coordinator, CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com 

CAIR-Chicago’s Website- Instagram - Facebook - Twitter (X) - YouTube - Subscribe