Brussels – Saba:
The Hind Rajab human rights organization announced on Monday that Belgian authorities detained and interrogated two Zionist soldiers suspected of committing war crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the organization said: "In what could mark a turning point in the global pursuit of accountability, the Belgian Federal Police arrested and interrogated two Israeli soldiers who are credibly accused of committing war crimes in Gaza," according to the Anadolu Agency.
The organization added that "this action came in response to an urgent legal complaint filed earlier this week by the HIND RAJAB Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN)."
The rights group explained that "the suspects were identified and arrested at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, Antwerp province," one of the world's largest electronic music festivals.
"After their detention, they were formally interrogated and released. The Belgian Federal Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed that a criminal investigation is currently underway," the foundation added.
The Hind Rajab Foundation and GLAN called on Belgian authorities to "continue the investigation fully and independently. Justice must not stop here, and we are committed to pursuing it to the end."
The organization described this development as "a significant step, indicating that Belgium has recognized its jurisdiction under international law and is treating the allegations with the seriousness they deserve, while many governments remain silent."
It further stated that "Belgium’s action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes must be met with a legal response, not political indifference."
"We do not claim that justice has been achieved—not yet. But we believe something important has begun. For the first time in Europe, two Israeli suspects linked to crimes in Gaza have been formally arrested and interrogated," the foundation said.
Addressing "the victims and survivors in Gaza," the rights group said: "We see you, we hear you, and we carry your demands for justice."
It added: "To those (Israelis) who believed impunity was permanent: this moment proves otherwise."
"To the states watching: universal jurisdiction is not just a principle—it is an obligation," the statement continued.
Several organizations worldwide, including Hind Rajab, are intensifying efforts to hold Israeli military personnel accountable for war crimes in Gaza.
Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israeli enemy forces, along with six of her relatives, in an airstrike on a car they had sought refuge in southwest of Gaza City on January 29, 2024.
With U.S. and European support, the Israeli enemy army has continued to commit genocidal crimes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of 59,029 Palestinian civilians, mostly children and women, and the injury of 142,135 others—figures that are not final, as thousands remain trapped under rubble or in streets inaccessible to rescue teams.
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