Belgium investigates war crimes by Belgian-Israeli soldier in Gaza
3 Min Read
The suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, is reportedly a man in his 20s from Uccle, a wealthy suburb of Brussels.
-
An Israeli soldier drives in a vehicle on the separation line with Gaza, as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Friday, October 18, 2024. (AP)
Belgian authorities announced on Friday that they have opened an investigation into potential war crimes committed by a Belgian-Israeli soldier partaking in the Israeli-led genocide on Gaza.
The federal prosecutor's office confirmed that the investigation focuses on a Belgian citizen serving in an elite unit of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), which includes other dual passport holders.
"We have opened a file on possible war crimes," a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office told AFP.
The suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, is reportedly a man in his 20s from Uccle, a wealthy suburb of Brussels.
The investigation, which officially began on Wednesday, was sparked by the work of Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi, who has been documenting the ongoing war on Gaza.
Tirawi accused an Israeli sniper unit known as "Refaim," or "Ghosts" in Hebrew, of carrying out "brutal executions of unarmed civilians" in Gaza.
After my six-month long investigation into the Israeli sniper death squad, the Belgian Federal Public Prosecutor has decided to launch a criminal investigation against a Belgian-Israeli soldier who is a member of the sniper team “Refaim” or the Ghost Unit. https://t.co/DuHZBEXPt8
— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) October 17, 2024
On Thursday, Belgium's Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt announced that the Belgian investigation aims to "verify the information published in the press."
"Israel has the right to self-defence," he alleged, "but that does not exempt it from its obligation to respect international humanitarian law," Van Tigchelt told parliament.
He also stated that the federal prosecutor's office would coordinate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where the chief prosecutor has already sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Read more: Karim Khan urges ICC judges not to delay arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Dutch lawyer submits ICC complaint against 1,000 Israeli soldiers
Earlier this month, Dutch lawyer Harun Rida submitted a criminal complaint to the ICC against 1,000 Israeli soldiers, accusing them of involvement in genocidal crimes in Gaza.
In a recent statement, Rida said the complaint was filed on behalf of victims in Gaza and the West Bank, as the Israeli war, which he described as genocidal, has now entered its second year.
Rida, representing the March 30 Movement in the Netherlands—a group founded by European activists to halt the Israeli genocide in Gaza—explained that the complaint is supported by documented evidence from the UN, reputable human rights organizations, and social media videos gathered by the Movement's team.
The 428-page complaint names high-ranking army officers and pilots, some of whom hold dual citizenships.
